Fire service needs to improve, inspectors find

Avon Fire & Rescue does not have an "effective system" to record risks, inspectors concluded

A fire and rescue service does not have an "effective system" to record risks and needs to improve staff culture, inspectors have said.

Those were the two main causes of concern raised after Avon Fire and Rescue Service was visited by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Inspectors did say the service had made improvements to 999 call systems

Chief fire officer Simon Shilton said: “While there is still more to do, I am fully committed to ensuring we continue to make the improvements needed and build on the strong foundations we have made."

The inspectorate added some improvements made after concerns were first raised in July 2023, were "welcome", however, "more work is needed".

At that time, inspectors had concerns about the service's mobilisation system which was not reliable and "crashed" during emergency 999 calls.

"In our most recent revisit, we found significant improvements have been made to the mobilisation system to make sure it is reliable and stable," inspectors said.

In a letter sent after their visit, they added: "Senior leaders should continue to establish and build confidence with staff.

"They should make sure improvement takes place across the service and is accepted and understood by everyone."

One area that still needs improvement is recording risks for high-rise buildings sufficiently, the letter added.

"This will help protect firefighters, the public and property during an emergency," the letter said.

'Working incredibly hard'

Inspectors also said that staff culture needs to improve.

"Improving the culture of the organisation will take time. And we don’t underestimate how much work is required to improve the culture," it said.

Mr Shilton added that their teams had "worked incredibly hard", despite "tight budgets".

"It’s great to see them recognise the plans our teams have put in place, the work that has been done and the progress that has been made," he added.

“Most importantly, I hope these findings reassure local people that we’re doing everything we can to provide a fire and rescue service that is efficient, effective, and good value for money, just as they expect and deserve.”