Response to calls requesting assistance - Kent Police, February 2017

On 26 February 2017, South East Coast Ambulance Service were called to help a man, who had reportedly passed out as a result of alcohol consumption, in his home. The ambulance service called Kent Police to assist them because a second man at the same location was aggressive and hostile to the ambulance service over the phone. The call handler told the ambulance service that the police would attend to assist.

Following the initial call, the ambulance service called the police a number of times to update them about the incident and ask for the police’s estimated time of arrival.

Approximately one hour later, and before police units arrived, Kent Police received a number of calls from Kent Fire and Rescue Service reporting a fire at the address and requesting police attendance. Police officers subsequently arrived.

A third man was removed from the address by the fire service. He was later pronounced dead.

During the investigation, the Investigator gathered and examined relevant documents, reviewed the calls Kent Police received concerning this incident and examined Kent Police’s call handling systems. The investigation also obtained witness statements from the police staff who dealt with the calls made by the ambulance service and the fire and rescue service to Kent Police on 26 February 2017.

The investigator found no indication that any person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

Our investigation highlighted a need for Kent Police to work with South East Coast Ambulance Service to create or review their Memorandum of Understanding to ensure both organisations have a shared understanding of the information they need to provide when requesting assistance from each other.

Kent Police have taken a number of steps to implement this.