It will take time to build trust, says Gloucestershire fire chief

A fire service judged to be inadequate for the way it treated its staff has said it will take time to build staff trust as it seeks to improve standards.

Inspectors said Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) needed to urgently improve the way it looked after its people.

Chief fire officer Mark Preece said his "biggest challenge" was how to improve the team's culture and values.

"That takes a lot more effort to bring that change about," he said.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the service required improvement to more effectively keep people safe and secure from fire and other risks.

Inspectors also had serious concerns about the way GFRS promoted its values and culture, and how it was improving the understanding of the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Mr Preece said he was committed to improving but that it would take time to change people's perception of the service, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It's not just about people behaving differently, it's about people feeling differently when they come to work."

He argued, however, that people's ideas of how the service was run were vastly "different" to the reality.

"The perception is that I sit here in my office, I look at the names and I go, 'right I've had an argument with firefighter X, I've had a disagreement with firefighter Y, they are not getting the job'.

"The reality could not be further from the truth.

"I'm not wired that way and I think constructive challenge is good."

Mr Preece said the service had already made improvements in attendance times, adding that responding to emergencies was "paramount" and the service was in a strong position.

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