Fire and resilience

Fire Service work with migrants praised in awards

Published 13 May 2009

Working with young people to reduce arson and attacks on firefighters, raising fire safety awareness among migrant workers, and encouraging minority groups to consider a career in the service were just some of the initiatives praised in the annual Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) Equality and Diversity Awards.

The FRS Equality and Diversity Awards scheme gives recognition to Fire and Rescue Service staff and other organisations in England - both individually and in teams - who have shown exceptional commitment to furthering the aim of improving equality and diversity ultimately to help reduce fires and fire deaths. The winners were announced at the annual Fire Conference at the NEC, Birmingham.

Fire Minister Sadiq Khan said:

"I want to congratulate all winners and entrants for trying to make a difference. These innovative and ambitious schemes are an inspiration for other Fire and Rescue Services to follow. The entrants know that equality and diversity matters because it is about fire safety for all. It is about reaching out to ensure that all members of the community benefit whatever their background."

Sadiq Khan also reiterated that while the representation of women and minority ethnic groups has improved in recent years, much remains to be done. He said:

"It is right that the Fire and Rescue Service as a local employer has a workforce which is reflective of the local population. This helps to increase the understanding and connection with all sections of the community and makes the service more effective in its work on fire safety and prevention.

"Everyone should feel able to apply to be a firefighter. Some groups need to be encouraged to apply and that is why projects that create greater awareness of career opportunities among under represented groups are to be encouraged."

The winners were:

  • Martin Trevillion from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service whose work with gypsies and travellers significantly reduced the risk of fire at the encampment
  • National Disabled Fire Association for its work as an advisory body to FRS employees, recruits and potential recruits, and as a source of expertise for managers
  • Phil Greenwood, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for enabling a grater understanding of the BAME community's need and learning Urdu in his own time
  • Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service for its work with Polish and Russian migrants to raise fire safety awareness
  • Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and Cheshire Health and Social Care in Community for working together in the care of the elderly
  • Greater Manchester FRS and St Peter's Community Partnership for their work with vulnerable people.

The award winners, runners up and those highly commended came from Fire and Rescue Services across the country: Cheshire, Cleveland, Essex, Greater Manchester, Kent, Lincolnshire, London, Lancashire and Staffordshire.

Notes to editors

1. Photographs are available from Communities and Local Government press office

2. The Equality and Diversity Awards started in 2007. The Fire and Rescue Equality and Diversity Annual Award Scheme, is sponsored by Communities and Local Government, Chief Fire Officers Association and the Local Government Association. This year 53 entries were received from 22 Fire and Rescue Services and other organisations. The entries had to show evidence of:

  • outcome driven applications
  • an innovative approach
  • ambitious and appropriate objectives
  • sound planning
  • good practice that other Fire and Rescue Services would benefit from
  • successful delivery
  • effective monitoring
  • how the work has had a positive effect on progressing the equality and diversity aims of the Fire and Rescue Service

The judges were representatives from: Equality and Human Rights Commission, Audit Commission, unions GMB and TUC, BT, Scotland and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Services, Opportunity Now, Employers' Forum on Disability and Communities and Local Government.

3. FIRE and RESCUE SERVICE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY AWARDS
Winners, runners up and highly commended.

Category: LEADERSHIP (INDIVIDUAL AWARD)

Winner: Martin Trevillion, Community Safety Liaison Officer, Essex FRS - nominated for his work in engaging with the Dale Farm Traveller and Gypsy community

As a result of Martin's work there has been a significant reduction in fire risk. Dale Farm Traveller site was the largest such community in Europe and Martin's initiative has led to better service delivery and improved engagement on fire safety with a hard to reach group. Through Martin's leadership, the Service has established trust with the Traveller community and improved its understanding of cultural and other needs. Martin had also been responsible for leading a separate project to set up a youth engagement centre at Barnstaple School, to help tackle anti-social behaviour.

Runner up: Wayne McCollin, currently of Croydon, was nominated for 30 years' work in promoting equality and diversity, tackling discrimination and helping to establish key national stakeholder bodies.

Wayne has worked tirelessly to tackle discrimination and resistance to change, challenging the FRS to improve on equality and diversity, and providing a significant, inspirational role model for people both within and outside the Service. He is a founding member of Black Ethnic and Minority Members and the Asian Firefighters Service Association, both recognised and established as key stakeholders. His leadership has inspired others, made a real impact and left a lasting legacy. His fine example of leadership over many years deserves national recognition. Wayne was formerly Assistant Chief Fire Officer with Lothian and Borders; he had previously worked for London Fire Brigade, West Midlands and Nottinghamshire. He was awarded the Queens Fire Service Medal in 2007.

Category: LEADERSHIP (TEAM AWARD)

Winner: National Disabled Fire Association (Duncan White, Andy Oaker and Barbara North). The NDFA was nominated for its work as an advisory body to FRS employees, recruits and potential recruits, and as a source of expertise for Service managers.

Much has been gained from the NDFA's role as an advisory group. The NDFA has clearly raised awareness about effective management of issues of disability in the workplace and provided Fire and Rescue Services with a source of expertise and advice which is helping to improve retention rates among staff with disabilities. From small beginnings the NDFA had developed into a national stakeholder body with long term sustainability. This is a good example of leadership.

Runner up: Lincolnshire FRS Recruitment Team - for a mobile recruitment 'pod' designed to raise awareness among currently under-represented groups about career opportunities and deliver fire safety messages into the community.

The team has broken down barriers, made connections and has been effective in helping to challenge the public's view of stereotypes and misconceptions about the physical attributes required to be a firefighter. Lincolnshire believes that using the 'pod' is the first of its kind to be used for raising awareness about fire safety and as a positive action measure to support engagement with hard to reach groups. There have been year on year increases in Lincolnshire in the numbers of women firefighters and minority ethnic staff recruited and the success of the pod has also significantly increased the number of applicants to be retained firefighters. This project has been very effective in supporting the drive for cultural change.
 
Category: SERVICE DELIVERY (INDIVIDUAL AWARD)

Winner: Phil Greenwood (Crew Commander, Greater Manchester FRS - nominated for his work to integrate the FRS within Black and minority ethnic communities.

Phil goes the extra mile to integrate the FRS with local Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in order to understand and meet their needs. Phil identified that there was a need for organisational cultural change in the Service's approach to the BME communities. He organised cultural awareness training for firefighters, undertook proactive campaigns, media coverage and educational outreach work resulting in the formation of the BME Fire and Safety Association. This resulted in increased referrals for home safety checks and more effective community engagement. Phil learned Urdu in his own time. This is a long-term project which could inspire others to achieve similar in their area.

Runner up: Rehana Iqbal, Community Risk Reduction Officer, Staffordshire FRS - nominated for work with women in minority ethnic communities.

Although Rehana was employed to develop a fire risk reduction team, she has been particularly successful in providing education and support to women in minority ethnic communities. Rehana was influential in providing the Service with a real opportunity for wider engagement with different sections of the local community thereby enhancing cohesion. Rehana involved members of the community in projects and encouraged seven Asian girls to join the student firefighter courses for young people aged between 11 - 15 years.

Category: SERVICE DELIVERY (TEAM AWARD)

Winner: Community Fire Protection Team, Lincolnshire FRS - for its work in improving engagement between migrant workers and the FRS.

This was an outstanding application focussing on the needs of a specific hard to reach group in Lincolnshire - the Polish and Russian migrants. The FRS recognised the importance of breaking down the language and cultural barriers to help improve fire safety awareness and thus recruited Russian and Polish speaking team members. Literature and advice on the FRS website was translated and migrant workers were also targeted in recruitment drives.

There were two runners up:

(i) Stephen-remell Coleman, Firefighter and Harvey Sahota, Community Safety Officer, London Fire Brigade - nominated for a fire safety project to engage with young people and minority ethnic communities.

The "Got mine, Got yours?" smoke alarm campaign was initiated, developed and performed by Stephen and then further developed by Harvey to deliver a smoke alarm message that engages young people and minority ethnic communities. They used YouTube, MySpace and live performances at community events to spread the message. This is an impressive, innovative project to capture the younger audience. The nominees devoted a lot of energy to the project and through their initiative increased awareness of the importance of smoke alarm ownership in the BME community.

(ii) Oldham Borough Community Fire Safety Team, Greater Manchester FRS - for working with young people to reduce crime and attacks on firefighters.

This was an innovative project with life changing potential for a hard to reach group. The collaboration between Oldham Youth Offending services and the FRS in working with young offenders helped to reduce youth crime, arson, attacks on firefighters and other offences. The project resulted in reducing re-offending rates and young offenders becoming ambassadors and taking messages from the FRS into the communities in which they live.

Additionally two were highly commended:

(i) Cleveland FRS - for developing a 'gender agenda' in order to increase the number of women in the FRS.

This initiative involved a wide range of staff including the human resources team, operational staff, health and safety, an estates manager and manager of retained firefighters. Cleveland FRS had successfully developed a project to focus on recruiting women and to support them by ensuring equality of opportunity in the selection process; this had resulted in an increase in the number of women firefighters. The judges were impressed with the 'positive action pack' recruitment brochure and the range of local and regional positive action initiatives.

(ii) Equality Standards Steering Group, Kent FRS, for improving public access to services.

Kent FRS' project aimed to improve public access to the services. The project resulted in improved engagement with a range of community groups and initiatives included a migrant workers telephone helpline.

Category: PARTNERSHIP WORKING

There were joint winners in this category:

(i) Cheshire FRS, Community Safety and Cheshire Health and Social Care Community - for a project to ensure the health, safety and welfare of older people in the community.

This project is a highly impressive multi-agency approach to engagement with the elderly. The FRS unusually worked with the health service and social care, together achieving very positive results. The FRS gave thorough consideration of data protection issues. The initiative could easily be rolled out elsewhere.

(ii) Greater Manchester FRS and St Peter's Community Partnership - for a project to provide vulnerable residents with fire safety advice and other community safety services.

This project provides home fire safety risk assessments, arson vulnerability assessments and other community services, was innovative, showed good partnership working, with measurable outcomes, and created a model that could be replicated and sustained. There was a systematic approach to communicating with vulnerable groups with knowledge being disseminated through a range of methods, including specially tailored training.

There were two runners up:

(i)  Community Fire Safety Team, Pennine Area, Lancashire FRS - providing safety advice to pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

This project is an innovative and creative partnership to advance community safety messages not only to the local Muslim community but also outside the UK. The partnership of the FRS with the NHS and the Police was successful in delivering health, crime and fire safety messages to pilgrims. This initiative resulted in a positive relationship between the Muslim community and Lancashire FRS.

(ii) London Fire Brigade LIFE Programme - nominated for its work with young people who are on the Autistic spectrum or have Downs Syndrome.

The LIFE programme enables young people to learn firefighting skills and take responsibility for equipment. This is a good example of how the FRS had recognised the importance of working with partners to engage with people with disabilities who can be a hard to reach group. This project had positive outcome improving these young people's lives for the better.

4. The Equality and Diversity Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service published in March 2009 requires each Fire and Rescue Authorities, by 2013, to meet the following recruitment targets:

  • a minimum of 15 per cent of operational recruits to be women
  • minority ethnic staff across the whole organisation (i.e. uniformed and non-uniformed sectors combined) to be at the same percentage as the minority ethnic representation in the local working age population

The Strategy encourages Fire and Rescue Authorities to strive for more rapid improvement in workforce diversity by committing to achieve higher recruitment targets of 18 per cent for female operational recruits and between 2 and 5 per cent above the local working age population for minority ethnic recruits across all sections of the workforce. Additional capital grant funding totalling £2m has been made available for those Authorities committing to the higher targets.

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