Avon Fire and Rescue Service moved into enhanced monitoring
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services has today moved Avon Fire and Rescue Service into an enhanced level of monitoring.
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023/25 – Avon Fire and Rescue Service
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continuously monitors the performance of all fire and rescue services in England.
The monitoring process consists of two stages: Scan and Engage. All fire and rescue services are in routine monitoring under the Scan stage by default, but may be escalated to enhanced monitoring under the Engage stage if they are not effectively addressing the inspectorate’s concerns.
HMICFRS said Avon Fire and Rescue Service had been moved into Engage because:
- the service still doesn’t have an effective system to make sure it gathers and records relevant and up-to-date risk information;
- prevention activity isn’t a sufficiently high priority for the service, and there is no prevention strategy, which should drive its day-to-day activities;
- the service’s mobilisation system isn’t reliable and crashes during 999 calls, which results in the public receiving a slower response to emergencies; and
- the service needs to do more to improve its culture.
Today HMICFRS has also published its latest inspection of Avon Fire and Rescue Service. It graded the service’s performance across 11 areas and found it was ‘adequate’ in two areas, ‘requires improvement’ in five areas and ‘inadequate’ in four areas.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Wendy Williams said:
“We move fire and rescue services into our enhanced level of monitoring, known as Engage, when a service is not responding to our concerns, or if it is not managing, mitigating or eradicating these concerns.
“The Engage process provides additional scrutiny and support from the inspectorate and other external organisations in the fire and rescue sector to help the fire and rescue service improve and provide a better service for the public.
“Avon Fire and Rescue Service has been asked to urgently produce an improvement plan and will meet regularly with our inspectors. We will work closely with the service to monitor its progress against these important and necessary changes.”
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Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2023/25 – Avon Fire and Rescue Service
Notes
- For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
- Read more information about the two accelerated causes of concern issued to Avon Fire and Rescue Service on 16 August 2023.
- Read more information about the HMICFRS monitoring process.