Skip to content

LFB makes 'significant improvements' - inspector

London Fire Brigade Four firemen standing by a fire truck pulling a large piece of equipment off the roof of the vehicle. They are all in their uniform with a yellow hi vis helmet on. London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade was placed under an "enhanced level of monitoring" after a damning report in 2022

London Fire Brigade (LFB) has made "significant improvements" to its performance since its last inspection, according to the fire inspectorate's latest report.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded LFB as "outstanding" in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.

It comes two years after the brigade was placed under special measures by after a report found the service was "institutionally misogynistic and racist".

LFB said the latest report reflected how it had "changed ways of working" and was "transforming the culture across the organisation".

Getty Images Andy Roe addresses the media outside the scene of a fire. He is holding a piece of paper. Getty Images
LFB commissioner Andy Roe said changes across the organisation had been "positive" in the last two years

The inspectorate graded London Fire Brigade's performance in 11 areas.

It has found the brigade to be "good" or "adequate" in nine areas and said it "requires improvement" in managing staff performance and developing those with leadership potential.

HMICFRS said the brigade continued to "respond quickly to fires and has a good system in place to prioritise its home fire safety visits".

It also found that the brigade was making "good progress to improve culture" and praised it for its role in counterterrorism nationally.

But it said more needed to be done to recruit a more diverse workforce and must "continue to build staff trust and confidence in the processes it has to deal with poor behaviour".

The report noted that all 29 recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 have now been implemented.

'Good news for London'

His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services, Lee Freeman, said he was "pleased" to find the improvements in LFB's performance since the last inspection.

"However, it still needs to improve how it identifies and develops high-potential staff and how it manages individual performance and development reviews," he said.

He added: "While there is still more to do, it is evident that the brigade understands where to make these further improvements and has achievable plans for them."

Getty Images Fire engine leaving the fire station, as a cyclist travels pastGetty Images
The inspector said the brigade was "performing well" at keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks

London Fire Commissioner, Andy Roe, said the report showed a "clear assessment of the positive changes" the brigade had made in the last two years.

He told BBC Radio London that "cultural improvement" had been at the centre of the recent changes.

"I don’t think in an organisation of thousands of people I’ll ever be able to eradicate poor behaviour or some of the very disappointing reports of individual lack of professionalism," he said.

"But what I can do is be transparent about it, put in place very clear standards and then hold people to it with absolute rigour. I think we’ve done that at scale."

He told presenter Riz Lateef that there had been more disciplinary and misconduct action against staff in the service than in the history of the organisation.

He said: "None of this would have been possible without the dedication of everyone in the organisation and the unwavering support of the mayor of London.

"This is not the end of our journey, and every day we will strive to do better to ensure we remain trusted to serve and protect London."

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the report was "good news for London".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

External Links