London Fire Brigade: Firefighters first to get body-worn cameras

Procurement of body-worn cameras has already begun, London Fire Brigade's chief says

Firefighters in London will be the first to wear body-worn cameras following a report that found institutional racism and misogyny within London Fire Brigade (LFB).

The report by former prosecutor Nazir Afzal found evidence of racist, homophobic and misogynistic bullying, which left a "clear trail of psychological harm".

The review recommended LFB firefighters should wear cameras during home visits.

Work would start immediately, LFB said.

• London firefighters face sack over behaviour

• Misogyny, racism and bullying found in fire service

Speaking at a meeting of the London Assembly fire, resilience and emergency planning committee, LFB Commissioner Andy Roe said procurement of body-worn cameras had begun, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We will be the first service in the country to issue body-worn cameras to our crews, both to protect them but also to ensure public safety and reassurance. Those are immediate changes, and that change has started now," he said.

'Look for underwear'

In one testimony featured in the report, an anonymous female firefighter said she told her female friends "not to let male firefighters in the house", as they "go through women's drawers looking for underwear and sex toys".

The firefighter said cameras were the "only way" to stop such behaviour.

In addition to issuing firefighters with body-worn cameras, Mr Roe revealed a five-year case review had begun this week, looking back at historic cases to "sense check all of those decisions that got made".

"If we still have people in the workforce, regardless of whether they've been through a process or not, who do not meet newly framed standards around gross misconduct, then they will be dismissed," he said.

He added that, unlike in the Metropolitan Police, there were no "significant legal barriers" to dismissing members of staff that have been found to have committed misconduct.

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