Cllr Ian Stephens, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee responds to the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Services Management Committee State of Fire report
Responding to the Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Services Management Committee State of Fire report, Cllr Ian Stephens, Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, said:
“We are pleased that the report has acknowledged the crucial role that the fire and rescue service plays in keeping our communities safe, whether that’s through responding to COVID, to fires or other emergencies. People have a right to be safe and to feel safe in their own homes, so we are also glad to see recognition of the crucial building safety work that fire and rescue services are carrying out.
“It is positive that the Core Code of Ethics that the LGA, NFCC and APCC produced has also been highlighted. We will be continuing to work with our partners to ensure that it is taken forwards across the sector.
“Positive industrial relations in the sector are vital to the effective and efficient delivery of services and while no evidence is provided in the report to support the assertion that the UK wide National Joint Council (NJC) is inefficient and outdated, nor that removing the current model of collective bargaining in England would improve any of the workforce issues raised, we remain open to discuss improvements that could be made to the NJC.
“The sector has been through a challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to exacerbate existing pressures on vital services. We are committed to ensuring that the sector can improve and are working to support members.”