Concern raised over fire service's safety is closed

Inspectors who raised concerns about a fire service's regulations and checks on high-risk buildings said "significant steps" had been taken.

They told Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) a "cause of concern" found in its fire protection two years ago has been closed.

The service had submitted an "action plan" detailing how it would address recommendations over fire safety, including identifying its "highest risk premises".

Inspectors who revisited last month found good progress, including more safety checks being carried out. The service said it was delighted but would continue moving forward.

Lee Freeman, of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the service had "increased the capacity and capability of the fire safety team".

Chief Fire Officer Ben Brook and other staff were interviewed by inspectors during the latest visit from 3 to 5 February.

Inspectors found the service had carried out 557 fire safety audits in 2023/24, which was 292 more than the previous year.

In 2023, inspector Wendy Williams said she was "disappointed" some high-risk residential buildings were not inspected, despite being previously highlighted as a cause of concern.

The latest report said the service was committed to completing 1,500 audits of high-risk premises over a three-year period.

"During our revisit we found that the service was ahead of its target," Mr Freeman said.

He added the service "still needs to make improvements in the recording of relevant information", as part of safety checks.

But progress included holding daily meetings with representative from each department to "share issues, concerns and risk information".

"We are pleased to see the significant steps the service has taken to address the cause of concern we issued," Mr Freeman concluded.

"The result of this work is that the service now has clear direction for its protection activity and a resourced risk-based inspection programme, which targets the highest risk premises."

He said while work was needed, inspectors were satisfied with the plan "to make sure there is a collective understanding of risk across the service.

"As a result, we have closed this cause of concern."

Zach Villers, WFRS' group manager, said the service was "delighted" and had implemented "robust plans" following the previous inspection.

He added: "Although this is a great step forward for the service, this is only the start of our journey, and we will continue to move forward with purpose to provide excellence for the communities of Warwickshire."

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