The Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Committee noted the updates on performance, the Coroner's Service, the Improvement Board, prevention and protection activities and the Service's exercise programme. They also reviewed the Independent Review Report into historical racism and bullying in Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) and heard an update on the GFRS Workplace Charter. They recommended that a decision on proposed changes to wholetime firefighter shift patterns be delayed to allow time for them to consider the concerns of firefighters.

Independent Review Report

Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Mark Preece presented the Independent Review Report into historical racism and bullying in GFRS. The review concluded that GFRS had been institutionally racist in the past, that there was widespread evidence of misogyny and that its 'Watch culture' had created an environment that was psychologically unsafe for many staff. The CFO acknowledged the failings of GFRS in the past and stated that 5 staff members had been dismissed from the Service over the past year due to inappropriate conduct. He also outlined the steps already taken by the Service to improve its culture, such as the introduction of anonymous reporting mechanisms and a Workplace Charter, and the Service's commitment to implementing the report's 14 recommendations. Councillor Dave Norman, the Cabinet Member for Fire, Community Safety and Libraries, assured the Committee that he, the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive would continue to hold the CFO accountable for implementing the recommendations.

Committee members expressed concern at the content of the report, particularly around bullying and harassment of Black and Asian firefighters. They questioned whether the report should be referred to the Police to check if criminality had taken place. The CFO responded that the Service had sought advice from Human Resources (HR) and had not been advised to do so, but would provide a written response to the Committee following the meeting. He stated that the families of the victims named in the report had been given the opportunity to report the events to the police, but had chosen not to, preferring instead to focus on how the report could be used as a catalyst for change. A member pressed the CFO on whether WME had recommended the report be referred to the Police, to which the CFO confirmed this had not been a recommendation, and that if it had, the report would have been referred to the police.

GFRS Response Review

CFO Mark Preece presented an update on the GFRS Response Review, which had included a 12-week public consultation on proposed changes to wholetime firefighter shift patterns and on the opening of a new day-crewed station at Cinderford. The CFO highlighted challenges faced by the Service, such as declining on-call firefighter availability, poor response times and the need to provide more prevention and protection activities during daytime hours. The CFO stated that the preferred option to address these challenges was to change from the current 9-hour day, 15-hour night shift pattern to an 11-hour day, 13-hour night pattern, in addition to opening the new day-crewed station.

A number of members raised concerns about the proposed changes to shift patterns, noting that they had received numerous emails from firefighters highlighting the negative impact the changes would have on them, particularly with regards to childcare responsibilities. They asked the Cabinet Member to delay making a decision on the changes to allow the Committee to gather evidence from firefighters and consider alternative options. The CFO responded that, having considered the consultation responses, he had tried to compromise with the proposal for 11-hour and 13-hour shifts. He also stated that the Service needed to be mindful of the need to deploy its resources efficiently, and that if wholetime firefighter numbers were increased to provide more daytime cover, it might mean the inspectorate would require the Service to employ fewer firefighters. The Lead Cabinet Member stated that he could not comment on what would happen at the Cabinet meeting, but that a decision would be made based on the professional advice received.

The Committee recommended that the decision on shift patterns be deferred to allow the Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Committee time to consider the views of firefighters.

Overview of Gloucestershire Coroners Service

Barry Sweeny, Coroner’s Operations Officer, presented an overview of the Gloucestershire Coroner's Service. He explained that, unlike other staff in the Service, the Coroner was an independent judicial office holder, appointed by the Crown. He described the duties of the Coroner, which included investigating all deaths in the county that were not from natural causes, and their power to produce reports on the prevention of future deaths.

A member asked if the Coroner's budget was sufficient, given the complexity of the county, which included multiple hospitals, mental health facilities, military bases, and events such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Mr Sweeny responded that, whilst investment had been lacking in the past, additional funding had recently been secured.

Overview of past local and national exercises and potential future exercises

Temporary Area Manager Liana Selecka-Jones presented an overview of GFRS's exercise programme. The Committee heard that the Service had exceeded its target for the number of exercises held each year, with 84 exercises taking place in 2024, including a major exercise involving multiple agencies based on a marauding terror attack scenario. The Service's policy on exercises required it to hold a major exercise each year involving 10 or more pumps¹, and a Service-wide exercise that involved all stations.

Overview of GFRS Values and Workplace Charter

Catherine Lane, People Manager at GFRS, presented an overview of GFRS's Values and Workplace Charter. The Committee heard that the Workplace Charter was designed to bring together the NFCC Core Code of Ethics, the Nolan Principles and the Council's corporate values into a single document. It set out the values and behaviours expected of staff and had been developed following extensive engagement with the workforce. She explained that the Charter had been incorporated into induction materials and staff appraisals. A number of members welcomed the introduction of the Charter, with one stating that it showed the Service was committed to improving its culture.

Update on GFRS Prevention, Protection and Emergency Response

Protection Manager Richard Humphrey presented an update on GFRS prevention, protection and emergency response activities. The Committee heard that the Protection team had been restructured and a new Duty Fire Safety Officer role introduced to provide 24/7 response to unsafe fire safety conditions. The Service had adopted a more robust approach to enforcement, with 9 formal notices having been issued in the first 6 months of 2024/25. Mr Humphrey explained that the Protection team was working closely with partners in Trading Standards, Housing and the Care Quality Commission and had introduced a number of initiatives to support business fire safety, such as monthly 'Business Fire Safety Surgeries' held at Growth Hubs² throughout the county.