The West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has shown significant progress since its previous evaluation, although there are still areas requiring attention, a recent report highlights.
The assessment by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) finds room for improvement primarily in safety and employee care, despite noting efficient operations in protecting the community from fires and associated risks.
Service Assessment Results
The HMICFRS report indicates that the service 'requires improvement' in its effectiveness at ensuring public safety from fires and other dangers.
However, it is rated as 'good' in its operational efficiency in safeguarding the community from these risks. The evaluation also specifies that improvements are necessary in caring for its personnel.
Areas for Improvement
The service has optimized workforce planning, ensuring appropriate staffing and skill levels
Matt Parr, Her Majesty's Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services, remarked on the advancements made since a 2018 review, stating the service has broadened its prevention and protection teams with the advantage of increased funding.
"I'm pleased to see that West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has improved since its 2018 inspection. It has used increased funding to expand its prevention and protection teams. We had previously been concerned about these teams, but now we are satisfied with their performance," said Matt Parr.
Additional enhancements are noted in call responses, incident command, and adherence to expected fire engine arrival times. Furthermore, the service has optimized workforce planning, ensuring appropriate staffing and skill levels.
"The service is improving how it responds to calls, with better command of incidents, and fire engines arriving within the expected timeframe. It also has good workforce planning processes and is better at having the right people with the right skills in place," added Matt Parr.
Continued Monitoring
Despite improvements, the report identifies ongoing challenges, such as the necessity for firefighters to engage in more preventive measures, reduce false fire alarms, and ensure staff behavior aligns with the service's core values.
"There are still areas where the service needs to improve, however – these include making sure firefighters carry out enough prevention activity, doing more to reduce unwanted fire signals, and continuing to make sure staff behavior aligns with organizational values. We will continue to monitor the service closely to follow its progress," concludes Matt Parr.
