Culture Recruitment

Culture and recruitment at centre of minister’s visit to GMFRS

Cultural transformation and firefighter recruitment were in the spotlight when the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention visited Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS).

A person in glasses sat at a table listening.

Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP – Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention

The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP visited the Service’s state-of-the-art Training and Safety Centre in Bury on Thursday 26 September to hear about GMFRS’s achievements, including improvements in leadership and culture, and its ongoing firefighter recruitment programme.

In its latest HMICFRS inspection the Service was praised for its cultural improvements, putting culture and values at the heart of everything it does, which has been driven by the creation of a ‘culture first’ board and staff sounding panel.

Two people speaking to a group of firefighters.

The Minister (left) was joined by Bury North MP James Frith MP (right) to meet apprentice firefighters during their training

The Minister met with members of the Executive Leadership Team, Deputy Mayor for Safer Stronger Communities Kate Green, and Group Chief Executive Caroline Simpson, along with colleagues representing the Service’s Staff Networks and Cultural Sounding Panel.

She experienced the immersive education and safety centre where children from a local primary school were having a visit to learn about fire and other dangers, followed by an overview of GMFRS’s award-winning Atlas adult fire-setters programme, which was highlighted by HMICFRS as an area of promising practice.

Two people speaking outside of a building.

Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel (right) welcomed the Minister (left) to Bury Training and Safety Centre

The visit concluded with a tour of GMFRS’s leadership and development academy and operational training centre, where the Minister spoke with apprentice firefighters during their training.   

The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP said:

“As a minister one of my jobs is to get out there and talk to frontline workers and I've been talking to firefighters today and apprentices about what they're looking for in terms of the support from government, and I want to make sure that government is very supportive particularly of fire and rescue services.

“I've got a particular emphasis around culture and improving culture within the service. So today I've been looking at the good practice in Greater Manchester. I want to be as supportive as possible because what I do know is and we all appreciate emergency workers.”

GMFRS’s Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said:

“I'm proud of the progress GMFRS has made in many areas, including culture, staff training and development, and our prevention services and I was very pleased to highlight this progress to the Minster. It comes after a positive year for our Service during which a fire service inspectorate report revealed GMFRS was the most improved and one of the best performing fire and rescue services in the country.

“There is a deep commitment within Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive culture and ensure we are an organisation that truly reflects the communities we serve – we are on the right path to achieving this.

“The public rightly expects that the values and behaviours displayed by public servants are exemplary and I will never gloss over the challenges we have faced and will continue to face, but as a Service we are putting culture first, pulling together, and when problems do arise, people have the confidence to call it out and intervene.”

James Frith MP said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Dame Diana Johnson MP, the Minister of State for Crime, Policing, and Fire, to Bury North. Dame Johnson’s visit highlighted the outstanding work of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) at our state-of-the-art training centre in Bury.

“A key focus of the visit was the incredible work being done by our dedicated service personnel, new recruits, and the wider Bury community, who are training with the latest fire safety technology. Additionally, GMFRS is leading the way in fostering a culture of inclusivity, ensuring that firefighters from all backgrounds are represented.

“GMFRS is actively recruiting new firefighters, with a particular focus on encouraging women and people of colour to apply. This effort aims to ensure that the Fire Service reflects the diversity of Greater Manchester’s communities and that all groups are well represented within the service."

For recruitment information, please visit our jobs page: Join Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service

Article Published: 27/09/2024 14:54 PM