Norfolk’s fire service has been heavily criticized in an official inspection report for failing to do enough to stop the outbreak of fires. The agency was rated “inadequate” in preventing fires, with inspectors describing failures to identify people at risk as “a cause for concern”. The inspection by HMRC and Fire and Rescue Service found that 15 areas “requires improvement” had not improved since the last inspection in 2019. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) said the report shows more needs to be done, but some key areas are at a “good” level. Fire crews are at the scene battling the blaze – Credit: Gavin Dudeney The report comes days after the NFRS announced a major incident, meaning there were not enough resources to meet demand as it tackled 300 fires at the height of last week’s heat wave.
Inspectors carried out their investigation before the recent fires. They praised the fire service for its ability to respond to fires and other emergencies, and for learning from national incidents such as the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Other findings from the evaluation include:

The agency does not always carry out serious incident inspections after fatal fires meaning no lessons are learned from the incident The service needs to do more to tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination – 16% of staff surveyed said they had experienced harassment and 15% discrimination Vulnerable people were not being referred to other organizations that may be better able to care for them Firefighters are not conducting “safe and well visits” or human-centered home fire risk checks, and no face-to-face activity has taken place during the pandemic. Culture and attitudes need improvement to make staff feel valued Operational performance ratings are ‘inconsistent’

A burnt out van destroyed in the fire – Credit: Chris Bishop The inspector, Roy Wilsher, said: “I have concerns about the NFRS’s performance in protecting people from fires and other risks.
“In particular, I have serious concerns about how it keeps the public safe through preventative action.” The inspector added that he was “disappointed” that the agency had not made more progress since the 2019 inspection. Responding to the report, Interim Fire Chief Tim Edwards said: “We welcome the report and are pleased that four areas of our work have been identified as good, with two of them improving since our last full inspection in 2019, and I am proud of the work our service has done for the past three years and continues to do every day. “As an education organisation, we have already taken steps to improve some of the other areas highlighted in the report since the inspectors’ visit last autumn. Tim Edwards, Interim Chief Fire Officer at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service – Credit: Norfolk County Council “We are naturally disappointed with some of the inspection findings and are committed to reducing the risk and creating a safer Norfolk for all.” Mr Edwards said some of the fire prevention issues were due to the coronavirus pandemic, which had forced the focus to shift to the “broader response” in the county rather than addressing organizational improvements. “We have deliberately reallocated resources during the pandemic, but because of that we haven’t done as much prevention work as we would like.” Mr Edwards said vulnerable people were still being supported, but future work was needed to better identify where people in need were, with staff receiving training to help them. On staff raising concerns about bullying, the fire chief said he did not believe the service had a particular problem but needed to be better at ensuring staff knew how to behave and made it clear that issues will be dealt with. The next steps will see an improvement plan come before councilors in September, with Mr Edwards stressing that services continue to make changes behind the scenes to deliver better outcomes for Norfolk. What do the politicians say? Margaret Dewsbury, Norfolk County cabinet member for communities and partnerships, said the authority was committed to supporting the improvements required and had already taken steps to address a number of areas. Margaret Dewsbury, Chair of Norfolk County Council’s Communities Committee. Pic: Sean Owen (Reflective Arts) – Credit: Sean Owen (Reflective Arts) “We have committed additional resources to increase staffing in the prevention and protection departments. I was pleased to see that improvements have been recognized in certain areas, which is testament to the team’s commitment.”
Steve Morphew, the leader of the Labor Group, said last week’s fires showed how vital the service was. Labour’s Steve Morphew – Credit: Copyright: Archant 2018 He said: “The poor rating of fire prevention is particularly shocking, but it is not the only critical area. The service has not only failed to improve, it has gone backwards since the last inspection.
“This is simply not good enough, the County Hall cabinet has to put up with Norfolk’s failure.
“Firefighters are doing a first-class job but have been let down by under-investment and a political failure to provide the leadership needed to ensure we have the fire and rescue service we need.” How was the service rated?

Effectiveness – Needs Improvement (2019: Needs Improvement) Understanding of fires and other hazards – Good (Requires improvement) Prevention of fires and other hazards – Inadequate (Requires improvement) Protecting the public through fire regulation – Good (Requires improvement) Response to fires and other emergencies – Good (Good) Response to major and multi-service incidents – Good (Good) Efficiency – Needs Improvement (Needs Improvement) Optimal use of resources – Needs improvement (Needs improvement) Future Affordability – Needs Improvement (Good) People – Needs Improvement (Needs Improvement) Promoting the right values ​​and culture – Needs improvement (Needs improvement) Get the right people with the right skills – Needs improvement (Good) Ensuring fairness and promoting diversity – Needs improvement (Needs improvement) Performance Management and Leader Development – Needs Improvement (Needs Improvement)