Contents May 07
Prepare to think big
Dennis Davis reports on this year’s US/UK Symposium where fire service leaders from both sides of the pond shared ideas and challenged conventional thinking on issues such as community engagement
Cultural change for the better
David Arber reports on Redkite Systems’ recent close interaction with the Fire and Rescue Service
Embracing diversity – theatre style
February’s equality and diversity event at the Fire Service College attracted delegates from all over the Fire and Rescue Service, reports Jagtar Singh
The IT crowd
Louise Hart relates how a group of retained firefighters from Avon and Gloucestershire are keeping the lifelong learning ethos alive by proving it is never too late to brush upon IT skills
EDITOR’S COLUMN
The Fire and Rescue Service Assessment, while largely complimentary to the progress being made by fire and rescue services, held back on praising fire services’ approach to equality and diversity. More than that, it stated that current performance remains poor compared with other public sector organisations. There again we are not comparing like with like. The fire sector’s nearest comparator, the Police, have had 15 years head start. The longer ill-fitting comparisons are made, the longer it will be for meaningful change to occur. Those quick to castigate should perhaps spend less time berating the Fire Service on failures of the past and more on promoting and promulgating the initiatives that an increasing number of fire and rescue services are currently undertaking.
It is the easiest job in the world to point out what is going wrong without proactively seeking to change. ‘Yes, we are all to blame, but you in particular’, does not help. Diversity projects such as ADDRESS and the recent Challenge event at the Fire Service College are proving great support to fire and rescue services. Next month FIRE will be reporting on the inaugural Asian Fire Service Association conference exploring multiculturalism, partnerships and boundaries. Such engagement is key to encouraging productive debate and momentum towards a truly diverse and equal Service. At the opposite end of the scale, talk within the FBU of removing the right to vote from minority groups is of course regressive and must be met with steely resistance.
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