His Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Police and Fire and Rescue Services has lifted the Causes for Concern on Essex County Fire & Rescue Service’s culture and on its Protection Service. We have embedded significant cultural change in the Fire & Rescue Service, building on values defined with our workforce which have changed behaviours. Working with the Fire & Rescue Service, I have overseen the introduction of better and targeted training programmes, a new recruitment programme, a fresh approach to identifying and developing talent and skills, and new policies for discipline and complaints. 

We have invested in expanding our fire protection and enforcement activities, promoting best practice and regulation, increasing building safety audits and inspections to make buildings across the county safer. 

The service has been able to prevent more fires, and the number of people killed or seriously injured across the county by fire or road traffic collision has continued to reduce. This is very good for the people of Essex, but there is still more to do.

We must continue to build on the achievements to date whilst also driving for greater productivity in the service. The introduction of the Dynamic Deployment model has increased response fire cover to nearly 98% in the last year; now we need to refine how to deliver it cost-effectively. Recently ECFRS has won the iese Gold Award for Fire & Rescue Service of the Year 2024, and reached the Silver level of the Inclusive Employers Standard. 

Overall I will support the government’s initiatives to improve the professionalism of the Fire & Rescue Service, invest in its people and refine its governance so as to keep our residents safer and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured. We look forward to the establishment of the national College of Fire & Rescue.