His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, Andy Cooke, has called for urgent reform of the fire service following an annual report that highlights widespread bullying, harassment, and discrimination among staff and brigade leaders. The report found that half of fire services received 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate' grades for fairness and diversity.
The London Fire Brigade and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service were placed in special measures in 2022 due to their handling of these issues. Staff surveys revealed that ethnic minority, LGBTQ+, disabled, and neurodiverse staff were significantly more likely to report being bullied or harassed at work.
The report also raised patient safety concerns and warned that keeping communities safe would be a 'challenge' if firefighters vote to strike. Inspections showed that 14 out of 44 services could improve their response to routine incidents, and five were not rated good or outstanding.
Fire-related deaths increased by 15% in the year to March 2022 compared to the previous 12 months. The report expressed uncertainty about how crews would respond to a major incident like the Manchester Arena bombing and instructed ten services to improve their terrorist response capabilities.
Mr Cooke expressed frustration at the lack of progress, noting that only two of six recommendations from a previous report have been implemented. He called for the Government to pass a law granting chief fire officers operational independence and to precisely define the role of fire services.
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, criticised the report for not prescribing national standards and failing to address funding cuts that have led to the loss of 11,500 firefighter posts and years of pay cuts.
