Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Rated as Good by HMICFRS Inspection
The first independent review by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has seen Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) awarded a ‘good’ rating in all three assessment areas and acknowledged as ‘outstanding’ for promoting the right values and culture across the Service.
The independent inspection, which was carried out by HMICFRS inspectors in June this year, looked at three key areas of DFRS’s performance, assessing how effectively and efficiently Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service prevents, protects the public against, and responds to, fires and other emergencies. The inspection also looked at how well the Service looks after its staff.
Derbyshire achieved a ‘good’ in all three key areas and is therefore meeting the high expectations of HMICFRS.
Speaking following the publication of Derbyshire’s inspection report, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Gavin Tomlinson said: “Her Majesty’s Inspectors were pleased with our performance and awarded us a ‘good’ rating across all three areas of work being inspected. This is a fantastic result for the Service and testament to the hard work and dedication of all our employees, the very people working to deliver our services to the communities of Derbyshire.
“I hope that the report findings give our communities and partners, reassurance that Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service is well placed to respond to, and protect our communities from fire and other emergencies. In August this year, we evidenced just this when we successfully responded to a major incident at Toddbrook Reservoir, working with our partners to save the homes, businesses and community of Whaley Bridge from a potential dam breach.
“I have already referenced our people, and the inspection went on to rate the Service as ‘good’ in relation to how we look after them. We value all of our employees, and recognise that they allow the Service to continuously develop, meet the challenges of new risks, adapt to social change and to meet the demands on our Service delivery, we are therefore committed to their development and wellbeing and have a range of programmes and services in place to support them.
“The report acknowledges that Senior Leaders were described by staff as being highly visible, highly approachable and interested in the views of the wider workforce. It was a particular highlight to receive an ‘outstanding’ rating for the work we do to promote the right values and culture across the Service, with the report noting that staff were aware of these and strongly supported them.”
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service continually seeks ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the services it provides to its communities and has already taken steps to improve areas highlighted by inspectors, such as ‘putting in place a fair process to identify, develop and support high-potential staff and aspiring leaders’ and ‘improving the way the Service identifies new premises which are subject to the Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’.
Mr. Tomlinson went on to say: “The report found that the Service was ‘good’ at protecting the public through fire regulation, however we recognise that there is learning and change that we need to take from the initial phase one report of the Grenfell Inquiry. Our protection team are already working alongside the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure any lessons learnt are considered and our own policies and procedures are amended where required.”
Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Kevin Buttery went on to add: “I speak on behalf of all of the fire and rescue authority when I say, that we are extremely pleased with the HMIFRS report ,rating Derbyshire as ‘good’ across all three areas of the inspection. It’s also excellent news that we have been deemed ‘outstanding’ for promoting the right values and culture across the Service.
“The report comes on the back of another busy year for the Service, seeing our employees, both operational and support, respond to and deal with numerous incidents including, widespread flooding across the County, moorland fires in the north of Derbyshire and a major incident at Toddbrook Reservoir Whaley Bridge. It also comes just days after Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service was awarded ‘Emergency Service of the Year 2019’ at the annual Excellence in Fire and Emergency Awards – a fitting award to acknowledge the hard work of all our employees.
“I know the Service has the right people, skills and values to carry on improving the Service to ensure we continue to Make Derbyshire Safer Together.”
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