West Midlands Fire Service's performance has improved
West Midlands Fire Service has been praised for its performance, a new report has found.
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2021/22 – West Midlands Fire Service
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded the service:
- ‘outstanding’ at effectively keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks;
- ‘good’ at efficiently keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks; and
- ‘good’ at looking after its people.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Wendy Williams said:
“I commend West Midlands Fire Service for its first-rate performance in keeping people safe and secure from fires and other risks.
“The service has made excellent progress in many areas since our 2019 inspection and is more effective in every area. It knows how and where fires are most likely to happen so it can target activity to mitigate those risks and makes sure that it has resources in the right place to respond to emergencies in the fastest possible time. This helps to keep the public safe and save lives.
“In 2019, we noted the service needed to improve the way it looks after its people. This time, I was pleased to see the service communicates better with its staff and looks after their health, safety and well-being. Staff are beginning to see the benefit of work to improve the culture of the organisation.
“The service can still make further improvements, such as in the way it assures itself of the competence of its workforce. Overall, however, it should be congratulated on its performance.”
Today HMICFRS will also publish the State of Fire and Rescue 2022, which sets out His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services’ assessment of the sector nationally.
Get the report
Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2021/22 – West Midlands Fire Service
Notes
- In its 2018/2019 inspection, West Midlands was rated as good across all three areas.
- For further information, the HMICFRS Press Office can be contacted at 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.