Our Observations

6. 1. The Fire Service as an institution was actually seen by a high percentage of participants as a noble profession to be admired. Multiple respondents mentioned how they were unfortunately involved in devastating fires (both here and abroad) and how awe-inspiring it was to watch other human beings put their lives at risk to save the lives and properties of people they didn’t even know. One said, that despite the whole house burning down, he had the “utmost respect” for the firefighters in attendance and went on to say, “Institutions that save lives and that risk their own lives are worthy of my respect. They think of others ahead of themselves. They are an honourable institution.”
   2. Others mentioned – in positive terms – the advice and guidance they (or older relatives) had received about smoke alarms, fire blankets and unplugging equipment to avoid electrical fires. It is clear from this engagement exercise that there was not a lack of respect for the Fire Service, there was just a lack of knowledge about the full range of services NFRS offered, and a widespread lack of belief that the Fire Service wanted to engage with the community and have a diverse, representative workforce.
   3. Unfortunately, the commitment behind the NFRS’ stated position of wanting to be a more inclusive and representative organisation has not trickled down to racially minoritised communities and indeed also to others that share protected characteristics such as women and/or those from the LGBTQ+ community.
   4. We examined the NFRS October 2022 report, Community Engagement – Working with Ethnic Minority Communities Update, which states that the service has “worked hard to promote race equality in the past” (paragraph 1.2 refers), however this view was not shared by the vast majority of respondents. The key workstreams in the Community Engagement Plan agreed in June 2021 – Understanding our Community; Inclusive Services and Communications; and Inclusive Workforce – are all areas specifically called out by the community – two years on – as areas that are still significantly below basic expectations. The next few paragraphs explain this in detail.

Understanding our Community

6. 5. 1. As reflected in the findings section earlier, most respondents do not feel that much effort has been made in the intervening years to understand and engage with the different communities. This is significant because even though the Police Service (for instance) has a chequered history with some elements of the community, most respondents gave them credit for their continuous efforts to engage and interact with them, even in their own spaces like mosques, churches and community centres. Furthermore, due to this sustained interaction, older respondents reported that younger family members aspired to join (or had already joined) the Police Service because of that familiarity, with 26% of respondents naming this as an attractive profession. Many also named the Army as another organisation that some family members or friends had joined because they also engaged people on the streets and talked about the different opportunities the Army had to offer, even if someone was not interested in actual combat.
      2. Additionally, by not quite understanding the cultures and communities served by the NFRS, the service is evidently unable to maximise the potential there. Several Arab women and those from Brazil and Angola, said that in their birth countries they had spent time in the military or in military-type service and so were very experienced in dealing with emergencies, rescue operations and protecting citizens, yet they felt they were probably envisaged as women who could not, or would not want to, be able to keep up with the physical regime inherent in a firefighter’s role.
      3. The NFRS October 2022 report, paragraph 2.7, talks about the shows on Radio Dawn being delivered in various languages (Punjabi, Urdu, Mirpuri) and in the same paragraph states that “one of the aims is to be an employer of choice, within these communities.” Using different languages to communicate issues around fire safety and preventative measures is undoubtedly important, but proactive communication on other subjects such as recruitment, requires a completely different approach, as potential candidates, especially those that are British born, and surveyed in this exercise, would be more interested in knowing how their qualifications would be put to good use, how they could develop their skills, how they can showcase their talent and how the role of firefighter accords with their values
      4. This concern about whether the Fire Service was a beneficial place for graduates consistently was cited with respondents from wide age groups but was not mentioned at all within the October report, which overall seemed to adopt a somewhat outdated approach to engaging with racially minoritised groups, i.e., by just showing it had done so in different languages.
      5. It is critical that the NFRS understands its communities so it can communicate effectively with its audience. A significant proportion of respondents we spoke to were from families that had one or more degree-holders. Whilst those that studied Medicine and Pharmacy for example may not wish to consider a career in the Fire Service, those that studied IT-related subjects (systems architecture, cyber-security, programming etc), HR, Finance and Accountancy, Estates and Facilities Management and Law would probably see it as an attractive contender.
      6. Another benefit of comprehending the diverse community is that the NFRS can learn about the values and beliefs behind the different religions and the cultures. The Service might be surprised to find that they have a lot of shared values, and this means employment with the Fire Service may resonate more strongly than expected. This is illustrated by the fact that many respondents actually applauded the Fire Service for being an organisation that serves the community despite the inherent danger. Some people of faith commented that the need to serve others is central to their own beliefs and suggested that speaking about this point in communication and recruitment initiatives would highlight that NFRS already shared values with potential recruits from those religious backgrounds.

Inclusive Communications

6. 6. 1. This aspect is the second key workstream highlighted in the NFRS October report. It is apparent from this engagement exercise that most respondents recognised the Fire Service was an essential service, but they did not see it as an inclusive one. Many respondents remarked on NFRS as remote and unwilling to engage with local community centres and Mosques despite allegedly engaging regularly with City Centre businesses. From the collective views of the respondents, it is clear that the approach to communicating with people from under-represented groups needs reconsideration.
      2. Whilst a few respondents acknowledged the messages shared via the radio station Kemet FM and similar outlets, most had either not heard the messages or did not see them as a genuine attempt to reach out, but more of a ‘tick-box’ exercise. Additionally, some took affront at the quality of the messages in terms of both style and content, and felt they were not designed to motivate the primarily African Caribbean listeners to see the Fire Service as an organisation they, their friends or family members could really be a recognised part of.
      3. In order to achieve its diversity goals, it is important that NFRS moves away from the theory of engagement to the practice of it, and thus obtain the true value from it that other organisations demonstrably represented by the Police and Army. This change of approach then bestows an opportunity to build on what actually works and tackle/redesign areas that are not working so well. This Listening and Learning exercise was seen by respondents as the start of a positive process to assist the NFRS to attract and engage with the community

Inclusive Workforce

6. 7. 1. The main reason for the sustained scepticism emerging from this exercise comes under this third key workstream. Despite all the community-related activities, additional funding spent on engagement initiatives, redesigned communications and well-intentioned policies and initiatives, [see Appendix A] the NFRS workforce continues to lack representation, and this is evident when employees come out into the community either to fight fires, to attend road traffic accidents or undertake fire prevention work. As respective respondents made clear, they could not relate to an organisation whose workforce looked nothing like them.
      2. Also, despite a myriad of other roles within the Fire Service, there appeared to be no tangible push to recruit minorities into these roles, which from the diverse groups interviewed revealed as well equipped, qualified and able to undertake such as IT, Engineering and Finance duties.
      3. As mentioned earlier in this document, there did not appear to be any transparent pathway to progress for senior leadership roles – this was not articulated in the recruitment packs or during the recruitment stages, which was disconcerting to those who had already invested in their university or further education.
      4. Some respondents had either applied to join the Fire Service or directly knew of family/ friends who had done so. Others knew of Fire Service employees that had since resigned. The common theme was the strong sense that the Fire Service did not really encourage non-whites in their ranks and the recruitment process was perceived as having been designed to achieve this outcome.
      5. Addressing respondents concerns around issues of misogyny, racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination in the workplace requires a comprehensive and proactive approach. Senior leadership must unequivocally commit to upholding the highest standards of conduct for all employees. This commitment should be visible and actionable through robust policy development, regular communication, and role modelling. Leaders must set the tone by openly discussing these issues, reinforcing the importance of diversity and inclusion, and demonstrating respect, inclusivity, and fairness in their own actions.
      6. Effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms, such as regular audits and reviews, clear reporting channels, and prompt investigation and action, are essential to ensure these standards are maintained.

Recruitment

6. 8. 1. It is significant that many respondents had no idea of the range of jobs available and most of them said that they had either never, or hardly ever, seen any of these jobs advertised. Yet these types of roles could be a powerful way to draw in applicants that are unable or unwilling to undertake the more strenuous, physical activities associated with being a firefighter. The military, for example, advertise roles not readily associated with the various military branches such as IT roles, engineers, medical personnel, drivers, chefs, HR officers and communications experts. This enables people that would not find actual combat appealing to join the organisation knowing that they can still serve their community and add great value whilst doing so.
      2. Even within the relative pool of respondents, there were multiple reports of family members and friends reaching the final stage of application in the Fire Service, only then to be told they were not successful. Upon asking where their performance had been under par, the applicants were allegedly informed they did not do anything wrong, but there were just too many good candidates. Others related how they asked for feedback upon being told they were not successful, and none was forthcoming despite repeated requests. This is not only inconsistent and poor practice, but it also gave the impression that there was no tangible or legitimate reason for them not to join the service, it was just that they were not wanted because they did not fit the ‘norm’.
      3. Recruiters effectively act as the gatekeepers into an Organisation so they must be trained in robust recruitment techniques and monitored for any prejudice and/or unconscious bias.
      4. Many respondents to this research believed that the reason why there are very few women and minority groups in senior positions in NFRS is that the recruitment process has stopped or hindered sufficient numbers from being employed initially; and even once engaged, would have stopped or obstructed their progression. Several went on to say quite firmly that there is no shortage of skills, qualifications and talent within the community, but they do not have the opportunity to showcase what they have to offer even at a very junior level, let alone further up the career ladder.

Retention

6. 9. 1. Indeed, those that knew people that had served in NFRS repeated the same themes of premature resignations due to alleged racism that was implicitly expected to be tolerated, or of knowing people that managed to gain employment, but they had to be over-qualified for their roles and / or work harder than their white counterparts, which just served to reinforce the perception of unchallenged racism.
      2. Bespoke training and education are also vital components of an inclusive workforce. Implementing mandatory training programmes for all employees, including senior leadership, on topics such as cultural competence, microaggressions, allyship, the different forms of discrimination, privilege, unconscious bias, and how to dismantle a culture of ingrained prejudice, is crucial. Elements of this training could be delivered in conjunction with community / women’s / LGBTQ+ groups to provide extra challenge, scrutiny and robustness to your process.
      3. It is imperative that the NFRS take the core concerns of the community feedback seriously, even if its own officers cannot relate to the examples provided. It is worth repeating as it was echoed during multiple focus sessions, that every time NFRS apparently ignored negative stories in the media concerning other Fire Services, this was practically seen as being complicit with those Fire Services too. Whilst we recognise that NFRS cannot be seen to openly decry another area, the absolute silence is equally damaging in the public eye.

6.10 ‘Have a Go’ day

6. 10. 1. An enlightening perspective was that 53% of the respondents would welcome an interactive ‘Have a Go’ day irrespective of them knowing little or nothing about the Fire Service.
       2. This is very encouraging as it demonstrates that people from ethnic minority communities do want to engage with the Fire Service.
       3. Within the ‘usual’ cohort group of NFRS applicants at age 18-40, this data represented 41% of females who wished to experience a day as a Firefighter.