Fire service was institutionally racist - report

Mark Preece, Gloucestershire chief fire officer, has apologised on behalf of the service

A chief fire officer has apologised on behalf of the service he represents after a review found it had been institutionally racist between 1991 and 2018.

The independent review into bullying and racism allegations at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) was led by West Midlands Employers (WME) and supported by Gloucestershire County Council (GCC).

WME spoke to 40 current and past staff members and analysed more than 4,500 documents, with the report containing accounts of distressing experiences and unacceptable behaviour.

The nephew of a former GFRS firefighter, who died in 2017, told the BBC he was "bullied" and the review was "long overdue".

Chief fire officer Mark Preece, who commissioned the report in 2023, said he "fully accepts" the findings and added that "there is still work to be done".

Avanos Biney will be celebrated by GFRS for his bravery in raising concerns

Avanos Biney left his job in Gloucester in 2001 and died in 2017.

While employed by GFRS he was called offensive names, had glass put in his shoes and swastikas placed in his kit.

Avanos' nephew Curtis Biney, who lived with him at the time of the abuse, said: "He was subjected to bullying and segregated from everybody else.

"People doing things to his locker, there were things said in front of him. Things said about him.

"In the long and short it came down to a group of people who felt they were able to do these things without any kind of reprimand."

Mr Biney said the report was "long overdue".

"There's no path to stopping it [racist abuse]. You deal with it on your own, you get up you go to work and do your job, and keep quiet. That's horrendous."

'Racism still exists'

The report said: "While GFRS is not institutionally racist today, racism still exists, and the service continues to grapple with the legacy of its past failings across the service."

Its key findings include poor work cultures that hindered integration; leadership that prioritised operational competence over people management and inclusivity; a lack of psychological safety when raising concerns with ineffective grievance processes; and widespread historical misogyny.

Many of the report’s 14 recommendations are areas previously identified by the fire service as needing improvement, with work already under way to address them.

New recommendations from the report will be added to the service's ongoing transformation programme.

'Horrendous discrimination'

Mr Preece commended the bravery of those who shared their experiences, saying that their contributions would help the fire service "learn, grow and improve".

“I want to apologise to our firefighters and staff past and present that have been subjected to the horrendous acts of discrimination, or witnessed, whistle-blown and tried to support victims as best they could with little or no support," he said.

“As we grapple with this legacy, I must stress that in accepting the report and its findings I am not suggesting in any way that all past or serving firefighters and staff were or are racist but nor am I saying that racism, misogyny and bullying have been eradicated.

"There is still work to be done."

The council said: "We will ensure the service has the necessary funding at its disposal so it can make the further improvements outlined in the recommendations of the report".