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FIRE AND rescue services in England have been set tough targets to improve equality and diversity as part of a new Government drive.
The new national Equality and Diversity Strategy calls on all 46 fire services to ensure that at least 15% of new firefighting recruits are women and that the number of minority ethnic recruits reflects the local working population by 2013. London, for example, will aim to achieve 29%, while the targets for the West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester are 21.2%, 11.5% and 9.2% respectively.
In addition, some £2m of funding will be available to fire and rescue services that choose more challenging targets.
The Government says that within five years there should be parity in retention and career progression between men and women, and between minority ethnic and white employees.
Launching the strategy, Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda said: ‘This is not about political correctness, but about providing opportunity for all and finding the best skilled and talented people across communities. The challenge now is for fire and rescue services to get out there and find and recruit them.’
Under the strategy, each service will set out an annual action plan with practical steps to improve recruitment. Chief fire officers will have to contribute details of what they have achieved to an annual report, published by the Government. As well as showing progress against the targets, the report will detail how fire and rescue services are improving their employment practices and service delivery.
In addition, new supporting guidance will be produced with the Local Government Association and the Chief Fire Officers’ Association, and the Government will recognise the best achievers at an annual awards ceremony.
The Equality and Diversity Strategy is available via the ‘Publications’ section of website: www.communities.gov.uk/
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