The West Yorkshire brigade has set a high benchmark for the rest of the country’s fire and rescue services.
West Yorkshire was one of three brigades to pilot a new voluntary inspection process aimed at highlighting strengths and rooting out weaknesses in key operational areas.
The process involved a detailed self-assessment followed up by external challenge from a panel of experts including Roy Wilsher, the chief fire officer from Hertfordshire.
The external assessors were on site 7-9 February.
In its final report, the panel notes ‘the strong sense of loyalty and pride in West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’ and the organisation’s strong and visible leadership. Critically for local people, it claims that performance indicators ‘are all going in the right direction and have been doing so for at least the past 10 years.’
West Yorkshire’s deputy chief fire officer, Steve Beckley, explained that the new approach to operational audit had been developed by the Chief Fire Officers’ Association and the Local Government Association as a means of supporting continuous improvement in the absence of a statutory inspection regime.
“Residents and businesses have the right to expect that their public services are being managed efficiently and effectively and that their performance is rigorously and independently challenged,” he added.
Mr. Beckley said that although the report had been extremely pleasing it had highlighted areas for development, such as the better targeting of help for high risk and vulnerable people and succession planning.
Councillor Tracey Austin, who chairs the fire authority’s Audit Committee, said that local people could take comfort in the report’s assertion that West Yorkshire’s firefighters were well-trained, well-resourced and well-equipped.
