The Government needs to reform the fire sector as a matter of
urgency, or else firefighters will not be able to provide the
best possible service to the public, a new report has found.
In his first annual
assessment of England’s fire and rescue services since being
appointed in 2022, Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of
Fire & Rescue Services, found that:
- only two of the inspectorate’s previous six recommendations
for reform of the fire service have been implemented, which he
described as extremely disappointing;
- the Home Office, the Local Government Association, the
National Fire Chiefs Council and trade unions should work
together to consider reforming structures for negotiating pay,
terms and conditions, which would reduce the risk of industrial
action; and
- many services need to improve their culture, and there are
still some unacceptable levels of bullying, harassment and
discrimination.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue
Services Andy Cooke said:
“I am continually struck by the dedication of firefighters and
other staff, and I know the public feel the same – they are
enormous assets to our communities.
“The fire service faces a difficult year ahead against the
backdrop of industrial action. Some may see these challenges as a
reason not to risk further change. On the contrary, reform of the
fire service is still urgently needed – and until all our
recommendations are addressed in full, fire and rescue services
won’t be able to provide the best possible service to the public.
“I am frustrated at the lack of progress since we first started
inspecting fire and rescue services in 2018. Only two of our six
recommendations for national reform have been completed.
“I expect to see further commitments from the Government –
including timescales for completion – very soon. Both the public
and fire and rescue services deserve better.”
The inspectorate’s four remaining recommendations are:
- the Home Office should precisely determine the role of fire
and rescue services, to remove any ambiguity;
- the sector should remove unjustifiable variation, including
in how they define risk;
- the sector should review how effectively pay and conditions
are determined; and
- the Home Office should invest chief fire officers with
operational independence, whether through primary legislation or
in some other manner.
The inspectorate confirmed earlier this week that it would
produce a new report on values and culture in England’s fire and
rescue services, which will be published later this year.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
