Reimagining engagement with ethnic minority communities

As a data analyst, it is my job to make sense of all the data that is collected by frontline colleagues and my personal favourite is the community safety activity dataset. These are the fire and road safety talks at community centres, places of worship and schools, fire station visits and demonstrations at fetes and festivals. It is always a surprise to see the breadth of the work that we do and how much time we spend doing it.

It has always struck me as odd that within my personal network of (mainly Indian) friends and family, talk of my work often enough ends up with the other person deciding that a smoke alarm is not really for them. After countless years working for the Fire and Rescue Service, I can foresee risks that are not countenanced by others and it often feels that despite all the hard work of my colleagues, the message all too often does not transmit.

Read the full article on our digital issue, page 40-42.

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