Fire Service Noted for Progress on Safety and Diversity Concerns

A fire service has been informed it has made advancements a year after a regulatory body placed it under special oversight due to issues concerning safety and diversity. In October 2023, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service was notified of its shortcomings, specifically its failure to identify individuals most vulnerable to fire, the requirement for its teams to prioritize tasks based on risk, and the necessity to enhance equality. An update from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services indicated that “significant steps” have since been implemented to address these issues. Chief fire officer Louise Harrison expressed approval of the report, stating that it acknowledged “the hard work and dedication” demonstrated by personnel in carrying out the prescribed actions. Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service remains one of three fire services in England subject to heightened scrutiny, having previously been identified as “overly reliant” on adjacent services for incident response. Watchdog inspector Roy Wilsher communicated in a letter to the fire service that it is now giving precedence to individuals most susceptible to fire for home visits, according to information from the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Furthermore, the service has initiated training for all firefighters and personnel engaged in handling referrals, and is consistently evaluating the standard of this work, he noted. Mr Wilsher declared: “All the recommendations have now been completed and the cause of concern is closed.” As an additional enhancement, the inspectorate drew attention to a new initiative designed to pinpoint very high-risk and high-risk properties slated for annual audit. The fire service reported completing audits for 95% of these premises by September. During the previous year, inspectors had noted insufficient progress in the areas of equality, diversity, and inclusion. Mr Wilsher stated that the service had shown betterment in this domain, including the appointment of a people and culture officer and a director of HR and organisational development. He commented: “These two roles are relatively new, but will help the service to focus on its work on equality, diversity and inclusion and make sure it is co-ordinated across the service’s departments.” The service affirmed its “remained committed to continuous improvement” and its dedication to safeguarding residents, adding that it would “continue to monitor its progress”. The inspection team is scheduled to evaluate the effect of the fire service’s advancements through a virtual inspection in January, and Ms Harrison expressed anticipation for this follow-up assessment.