The chief inspector of fire and rescue services has called for
more powers to ensure the sector makes urgent changes to keep the
public safe.
In his annual assessment of England's fire and rescue services,
Andy Cooke, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue
Services, said that:
- the inspectorate needs more powers to ensure the fire and
rescue sector act on its recommendations. For example, the
Government should make it a legal requirement for fire and rescue
authorities to publish a response to inspection reports;
- the Government should prioritise reform and publicly commit
to an achievable timescale for making its proposed changes;
- services must do more to improve their values and culture to
remove unacceptable behaviours such as bullying, harassment and
discrimination, which persist in small pockets; and
- fire and rescue service leaders aren't being strategic enough
in how they make improvements; this can lead to ineffective
decisions being made, which ultimately make the public less safe.
Andy Cooke, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire and
Rescue Services said:
“I am continually taken aback by the unwavering commitment of
firefighters and other staff, which I've seen countless examples
of. They all play a vital role in keeping the public and our
wider communities safe.
“I know that many services have faced yet another difficult year,
with financial pressures, recruitment challenges and dealing with
the consequences of extreme weather. But it is crucial that these
difficulties do not overshadow the need for urgent change. The
Government's proposals for reform are promising, but they cannot
be delayed any further.
“Systemic challenges are preventing services from improving.
While we have seen some progress since we began inspecting fire
and rescue services in 2018, this has been far too slow. Services
must be supported in being able to adapt to and address these
challenges, as well as those of the future. That is why I am
calling for new powers to make sure that the sector acts on our
recommendations, so it can give the public the service it rightly
deserves.”
The inspectorate's three remaining national recommendations,
which could be addressed through effective reform are:
- the Home Office should precisely determine the role of fire
and rescue services, to remove any ambiguity;
- 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.
