Fire service must 'do more' on safety, says inspectorate

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) needs to do more to improve how it keeps people safe, the fire inspectorate has said.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services rated nine out of 11 areas in the service as "inadequate" or "requiring improvement".

The inspectorate said that while GFRS had made some improvements, it was disappointed by the lack of progress since the previous poor inspection in 2021.

The fire service said it would continue to work with its staff and leadership team to make improvements.

In the report, HM Inspector Roy Wilsher said there were concerns that the departments in the service did not work together very well.

He explained the work of firefighters was not always aligned to the plans of central teams.

“We have concerns about the performance of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks," he said.

“While the service has deteriorated in some areas since our last inspection [in 2021], we recognise there have also been some improvements, which the service should take encouragement from.

"We will continue to work closely with the service and its leadership team to review the progress it is making,” he added.

Gloucestershire Chief Fire Officer, Mark Preece, said the service aspired to be a "good service across the board in all the areas we are inspected".

He said: “We have improved in a good number of those, which is really important and we are moving in the right trajectory.

“I take on board the HMI’s comments, and they like myself I’m sure want the service to be good."

He added that the service had needed to recruit more staff to tackle the workload and they had been doing so since the last inspection two years ago.

But Mr Preece accepted there was still more to do.

“I take the report and accept the recommendations. On the whole, I accept the findings and we will do more to demonstrate how we will meet the requirements in the future."

Gloucestershire Fire Service was placed in special measures over its performance in July 2022.

The inspectorate's principal findings showed that the service did not have enough trained and experienced protection staff with the skills required to inspect buildings and use its full range of enforcement powers.

The inspectorate also said the service should improve how it promotes the right values, a positive workplace and the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.

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