HMI Reports
In summer 2017, HMIC took on inspections of England’s fire and rescue services, inspecting and reporting on their efficiency, effectiveness and people. To reflect this new role, their name changed to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
The following year, HMICFRS announced the intention to inspect all fire and rescue services in England, beginning in summer 2018 and concluding in autumn 2019. This was the first independent inspection into fire and rescue services for 12 years.
Under a two-year cycle, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a second inspection took place in 2021. The third inspection took place in the summer of 2023.
The inspection involves a 10-week process during which HMICFRS review the Service’s policies, plans and procedures, while the Service submits a Position Statement and Self-Assessment completed by the Chief Fire Officer and senior managers. This is then followed by a fieldwork phase, which is the ‘hands on’ part of the inspection in which inspectors visit wholetime and on-call fire stations, hold several focus groups with members of staff and conduct interviews and desktop exercises with senior managers.
In total, the 2023 HMICFRS Inspection team talked to approximately 155 staff across the organisation.
Read the latest HMICFRS report here.