Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) acknowledge the Independent Cultural Review of the London Fire Brigade and recognise that the report makes for difficult reading. The reported incidents of racism and misogyny are extremely alarming; there is no place for such behaviour or attitudes within the fire and rescue service.
HFRS has a “Zero Tolerance” policy on bullying, harassment and discrimination. We continue to work with staff, staff groups, communities and representative bodies to improve our policies. As a fire and rescue service, we are confident in our process of reporting and dealing with such behaviours. We recognise that it should not lead to complacency and will fully consider the report and its implications. This will allow the Service to reflect on the recommendations before instigating further improvements for our staff and communities where identified.
All Fire and Rescue Services in England are independently inspected by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and our most recent HMICFRS Inspection Report 2022 was published in the summer of 2022. The Service achieved an outcome and grading of ‘Good’ in all 11 areas of assessment, including four specific areas under the ‘People’ element of the inspection. The report produced by HMICFRS stated that “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are well understood throughout the Service”. Independent inspections help the Service to continually improve.
HFRS was recognised as an early adopter of the Fire Service Core Code of Ethics that was launched in 2021 and we continue to embed these into all activities, policies and procedures. They were introduced as a natural progression from our established Principles and Behaviours that were aligned with our working practices since 2016.
HFRS remains committed to continually learning and improving; to provide the best service to the communities across the Humber area. We will continue to make sure all staff are aligned with the expectations and behaviours within the Core Code of Ethics and that everyone is treated fairly, with dignity and respect.