The independent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was released today and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) was rated ‘Good’ in two out of the three core areas of the inspection.
Message from Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive, Chris Blacksell:"I am delighted, and incredibly proud, to see that the report has recognised the great service we provide to our communities. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service was rated as Good at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks (Effectiveness) and Good at making the best use of our resources and making the Service affordable now and in the future (Efficiency). The fact that the report highlights that our Firefighters are well trained, well equipped and knowledgeable is really good to hear and I’m sure that our communities will be pleased that is the case. It is also great to hear positive messages about our budget planning and the way we ensure that we get value for money, which means our communities can be assured even in challenging financial times that we are providing an efficient and effective Fire and Rescue Service.
The report does reflect that we Require Improvement within some of the ways we look after our people (People), particularly in how we develop our workforce and increase the diversity of the people we employ. However, in the same area of the report I am extremely pleased that there is recognition that we have a strong set of values that are well understood and demonstrated by staff at all levels. This is vitally important to us now and in the future as we continually improve the already high levels of service to our communities. The report also positively acknowledges how seriously we take the health and safety of our workforce.
We have had a very open approach to the inspection and in many ways it reflects our own views of the Service. Over the eight months since our inspection we have made significant progress towards addressing some of the areas that require improvement. Our recent recruitment for Full-Time Firefighters for example, resulted in 32% of our new firefighters being women. We now have a full complement of staff in our Protection team, who work to keep businesses and public spaces safe, and have made further investments in staff training and development within this specialised area.
Overall today’s report reinforces the great work we do in the Humber area. I’m proud of every member of staff for their dedication to HFRS and their support to the communities we serve, and I’d like to thank them for the hard work they do every single day.
Our communities can be assured that we prepare for and respond quickly and effectively to emergency incidents, and that the service we provide is cost effective. This report provides a good basis on which to make further improvements to what is already a great service."
Chair of Humberside Fire Authority, Councillor John Briggs says:"Year on year, I am always impressed by what the Service achieves, and I am proud of the professionalism and commitment of its staff. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service is a great asset to all the communities it serves and, in conjunction with the Fire Authority, will continually strive to improve how it performs in order to enhance the safety of the whole of the Humber Area."