Section MenuIn March 2018, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) announced the intention to inspect all 45 fire and rescue services in England in three sets, beginning in summer 2018 and concluding in autumn 2019.
It was the first independent inspection into fire and rescue services for 12 years.
Under the two-year cycle, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, a second inspection took place in 2021 and a third inspection is taking place in the summer of 2023.
The inspection involves reviewing the Service's policies, plans and procedures, the submission of a Position Statement and Self-Assessment completed by the Chief Fire Officer, and a fieldwork phase. During the fieldwork, inspectors are due to visit every wholetime fire station and two on-call stations, and will hold several focus groups with members of staff across the organisation and conduct interviews with senior managers.