Annual assessment of fire and rescue services in England

In his first annual assessment of fire and rescue services in England, Her Majesty’s Chief inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Sir Thomas Winsor acknowledges the strong commitment from firefighters to protect the communities they serve. The sector’s greatest strength is in how it responds to emergencies, with demonstration of a number of life-saving initiatives and a strong health and safety culture. The fire and rescue sector, however, needs significant reform in several areas.

On the working culture in Fire and Rescue Services, Sir Thomas said:

We have come across some outstanding examples of culture in some services. The best cultures are inclusive and diverse, with committed staff working to common goals. But the culture in some services is toxic. We have come across cases of active bullying and harassment. Disturbingly, some people we spoke to seemed to find the poor treatment of staff by other colleagues amusing.

Sir Thomas states that the sector would benefit from a code of ethics. This will reinforce to everyone how they should be treated and how they should treat others, and staff at all levels will be empowered to challenge any behaviour contrary to the code.

Take a look at the full report here.