The report from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue’s inspection in Spring 2021 has been published, along with an update on some of the areas where improvements were needed.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that, in line with other fire services they inspected, Lincolnshire’s fires service needed to improve in two main areas – how it carries out inspections of premises in the county and how it can improve equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the service.
Other areas that were inspected were found to be good, including importantly:
- the response of the service to emergencies and
- promoting the right values and culture in the service.
No areas were found to be inadequate.
Action plans addressing the areas of concern highlighted have been put in place and HMICFRS have now recognised that good progress is being made on these.
Chief Fire Officer for Lincolnshire, Mark Baxter, said:
“We’re proud that we have been recognised for providing a good and effective response to fires and other emergencies in Lincolnshire. People can be assured that if they call the fire service, we are there for them wherever and whenever they need us. I would like to thank all our staff for their hard work and commitment in their vital roles in delivering to our communities on a daily basis.
“The inspection process is a positive one and it has led to improvements to fire services across the country. In particular it has led to fire services carrying out more targeted prevention work in their highest risk areas.
“HMICFRS have recognised that since their visit, we have trained more fire inspectors, and prioritising our resources, and we are on track to have met all our targets this year in inspecting high risk premises.”
Cllr Lindsey Cawrey, executive councillor for emergency services at the county council, said:
“I want to thank everyone at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue for their tireless work in responding to emergency calls and being there when we need them most. Since the start of the pandemic, our firefighters have gone above and beyond by carrying out additional duties to provide drivers for the East Midlands Ambulance Service and additional community and frontline COVID response support through the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has been recognised for this by HMI and it’s a credit to everyone who works in the service.
“There are, of course, areas we need to improve on - like most fire services that have been inspected so far - and I am happy to report that we have made significant progress on these since the inspection in April. For example, investment in additional resources for the risk-based inspection programme, improving connectivity in mobile data terminals, how we record and share data and our absolute commitment to ensure that our firefighters reflect the communities they serve.”
13 fire and rescue services were inspected in this tranche of inspections, that took place in April 2021.