Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Enhancing Employment Opportunities with the NFRS

Introduction

    1. The Fire and Rescue Service, a cornerstone of public safety, has traditionally been viewed through a narrow lens, often reflecting a homogenous workforce that does not fully represent the diverse communities it serves. Like many Fire and Rescue Services in the United Kingdom, the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) comprehends that its workforce must evolve, to better reflect women and the ethnic diversity of the citizens of the Nottinghamshire community it serves. Currently, the NFRS employs 10% women firefighters and less than 6% of staff are from racially minoritised groups across all occupations. This contrasts with data from the 2021 census [See Appendix E] which suggests that women account for 50.9%3 of the population, and racially minoritised groups comprise 42.7% of the local population in the City of Nottingham.
    2. But this picture is not just a local phenomenon. The Local Government Association published a memorandum of understanding co-signed by key groups such as the Asian Fire Service Association, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and the Fire Brigades Union, among others to signify a collective pledge to drive essential reforms within the Fire and Rescue service marking a crucial step towards addressing equality, diversity, behaviour, and organisational culture.
    3. In March 2024, the NFRS commissioned In2People, an independent HR consultancy, to act as a partner and critical friend in a ‘listening and learning’ exercise aimed at understanding the barriers to employment focusing on women and people from racially minoritised groups.
    4. In2People commend the NFRS for commissioning this review, reflecting their strong determination to reform, and become a service that mirrors the diversity of the communities they serve. The incorporation of our recommendations, and the community voices into their Strategic Plans underscores their commitment to meaningful and sustained change.
    5. To ensure appropriate terminology when referring to different ethnic groups, we have used either the term "racially minoritised groups" or identified the groups by their specific ethnic origins throughout this report. This approach serves as a collective representation for terms such as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

3 Nottingham insight census