"The latest State of Fire Report shows the fantastic job that firefighters do in very difficult circumstances, against the background of a challenging financial picture."
In response to the 2023 State of Fire and Rescue Report, published by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Cllr Frank Biederman, Chair of the Fire Services Management Committee said:
“The latest State of Fire Report shows the fantastic job that firefighters do in very difficult circumstances, against the background of a challenging financial picture.
“Improving culture and values is of paramount importance to the sector, and the report makes clear that further work must be done on this important issue. We believe that this work is vital to the sector, and that there are still too many incidents of unacceptable behaviours which must be addressed.
“Before any wider systematic changes are made to inspection, it is vital that the sector is given the resources it needs to progress the issues highlighted in the report such as reduced workforce capacity which is hampering their ability to fully address increasing risks such as wildfires and lithium battery fires.
“Unless these financial issues are addressed, the recommendations in this report will have little to no impact if implemented.”