penny mordauntThe Fire Minister has launched an independent review aimed at "ensuring conditions of service that firefighters enjoy continue to support their frontline work of preventing fire and protecting the public for years to come".

The review will be led by personnel management and staff resourcing Adrian Thomas who will consult with fire and rescue authorities, firefighters, representative bodies and report back in 2015.

In announcing the review, Penny Mourdant (pictured) said: "Firefighters put their lives on the line every day and deserve a workplace fully focused on fire prevention and protection. So we have a responsibility to each and every firefighter to make sure their conditions of service, some of which are decades old, fully support the challenges modern firefighters face every day.

"This review will involve a massive piece of evidence gathering, in particular from firefighters themselves as they have expertise and ideas, to take the service forward. I hope as many firefighters as possible will contribute.

"It will give fire chiefs an up to date assessment of the work place to implement lasting improvements so firefighters can continue to serve the needs of their communities to the best of their abilities for years to come."

Watch Sir Ken Knight discuss his report at The Future of Fire and Rescue Services Conference at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uYtQwUobtc  

A report by former Fire Chief Sir Ken Knight ‘Facing the Future’, published last year, outlined how improvements could be made to frontline services if firefighters’ conditions of service, often barrier to changes, were reviewed.

The Adrian Thomas review will consider whether the current terms and conditions are conducive to building the fire and rescue service of the future. It will look at national arrangements for agreeing conditions:
•management practices and crewing arrangements
•collaboration and integration with other emergency services
•the use of on call firefighters
•clarity of process in the fair recruitment and remuneration of chief fire officers and fire officers

Commenting on his appointment, Thomas said: "The fire service and firefighters do an incredibly important job that requires a unique workplace environment. I am delighted to lead this review – it is a golden opportunity to look closely at how we can support the fire service of the future."