Bullying, Discrimination Found In Every Fire Service In England - Report

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2023) Bullying and discrimination on the basis of race, gender and other protected characteristics have been reported in every fire and rescue service across England, the top UK fire inspector said in a report.

Chief fire and rescue services' inspector Roy Wilsher said the review of complaints fielded over the past 12 months revealed a "shocking" pattern of behavior in the sector, seen as a "boys club," with staff saying racism, homophobia and misogyny have been routinely ignored or dismissed as banter.

"Our findings shine a light on deeply troubling bullying and harassment in fire and rescue services across the country - and I fear this could be just the tip of the iceberg," Wilsher said.

Alleged incidents include male firefighters joking with a female colleague about how they were "going to rape her," and a senior officer referring to a black colleague using the "n-word" and putting it down to "having a laugh.

" A homophobic slur was also found written on a firefighter's locker.

The chief inspector said the sector had to "get a grip" on how it handled misconduct, including making sure that staff who reported such incidents did not fear adverse consequences. The report said staff had been told it would be "career suicide" to do so.

The report also recommended that the National Fire Chief Council develop a national barred list by October that holds details of staff who have been dismissed for gross misconduct to prevent them from being hired by other services.

Matt Wrack, head of the UK's Fire Brigades Union, welcomed the government's step toward acknowledging the scale of the problem but warned that the failure to address discrimination and harassment in the service went "right to the top."