Monday 28 January
The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) is
enormously disappointed by criticism of the Chief Fire Officer of
Avon Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) for his initiatives encouraging
people from all backgrounds to apply to become firefighters.
Steve McGuirk, CFOA President stated, ‘The Association fully
supports Chief Fire Officer Kevin Pearson's 'have a go' days, days
which are open to people from all communities. Open days do
not exclude white men. The fire service is already a popular
career option for white males and currently 98% of firefighters are
white men. ‘Have a go’ events are really about opening up the
service to all and showing what a fantastic job firefighting is.
These events are a tried and tested method of getting members from
all sections of the community into fire stations to try out some of
the day to day activities undertaken by firefighters. This gives
people the opportunity to learn more about our profession and that
it is a job that can and is open to everyone who has the
required skills and abilities.
Charlie Hendry, CFOA Vice President, and Association lead on
Equality and Diversity said 'CFOA is committed to encouraging fire
and rescue services to adopt effective strategies for recruiting
and managing a diverse workforce. Our workforce must reflect the
communities they serve. 'Have a go’ days are a wholly legitimate
approach to attracting people, who might never have considered
firefighting as a career. Employing people from a range of
backgrounds ensures that FRS's provide the very best service to all
our communities.'
The CFOA National HR Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service,
published in 2006, identifies a diverse workforce as one of the key
priorities to taking forward people management in the fire and
rescue service. This strategy clearly states that 'it is crucial
that we improve the involvement of under-represented groups at all
levels in the service'.
Mr Hendry added, 'Employing a diverse workforce is not only a moral
duty. It is a legal duty. As well as The Human Rights Act 1998 and
employment legislation, the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
places a specific duty on fire services to adopt working practices
to attract and retain a diverse workforce. This includes ensuring
the service is a career of choice for a wide range of people.
Diversity in every sense must be mainstreamed into our
organisations if we want to have the very best people delivering
the very best service to all'.
He concluded, 'Diversity also makes good business sense. It enables
us to choose employees form a wide pool of potential applicants.
The CFOA strategy says, 'Targeting and attracting talented people
into the service and promoting a positive image of the FRS among
potential applicants, particularly from under represented groups
will be a vital ingredient to our success'.
Note:
The Chief Fire Officers' Association (CFOA) is the foremost
official organisation for principal fire officers in the UK.
The Association was formed in 1974 following local government
re-organisation to allow principal fire officers the ability to
meet and discuss fire related or government influenced matters.
Membership of the Association comprises almost all the senior
management of fire and rescue services in the United Kingdom and is
the driving force in managing change and implementing reforms in
the service.
The Chief Fire Officers’ Association provides the chair and
secretariat to the Practitioners Forum, the body through which
practitioners and stakeholders in the fire community work together
to provide advice to Government on policy development, ensuring
that specific policy initiatives are consistent with working
practices on the ground and are
deliverable.