Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service rated one of the best-performing in UK

Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service's chief fire officer Craig Parkin
-Credit: (Image: LDRS)


Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has been rated as one of the best-performing in the country in a new report. The service has been graded ‘good’ in ten out of eleven areas inspectors looked at.

It was judged to have maintained or improved in all areas at a time when many other services are seeing falling standards or being criticised for their workplace culture. The report was published this week after a visit by His Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Forces earlier this year.

Chief fire officer Craig Parkin said the report was one of the proudest moments of his 29-year career. Speaking to the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority on Friday (September 20), he praised all staff that helped to achieve the grade.

“This has been a very proud week. We have maintained or improved in all areas and bucked the national trend – 55 per cent of forces have gone backwards in their grading during this round of inspections,” he said.

“You can see the exceptional direction of travel – in our first inspection, we were given 24 areas of improvement, for this it was just one. This confirms we’re on track for hitting our goal of being ‘outstanding’ by 2032.”

He said the force had been operating on a “shoestring budget” for nearly two decades, and said: “We’ve got to make the best of what we’ve got.” The single area that has been rated ‘adequate’ by inspectors is protecting the public through fire regulation.

The Chief Fire Officer said straightforward improvements to this had been identified, and it would be at ‘good’ level by next year. The Fire Authority is a body of Nottinghamshire political leaders including local councillors who scrutinise the service and make sure it is providing a good service within budget.

At one point the meeting moved into football metaphors, with Councillor Nigel Turner (Con) asking: “Are we in officially in the Premier League now?” Mr Parkin responded: “We’re certainly at the top – we’re looking at a Champions League place.”

Councillor Michael Payne (Lab), who chairs the board, said: “The fire service is right to be proud – they’ve been on quite a journey since 2013 when they were found wanting. “The service costs every Nottinghamshire person around £40.90 per year, and in return they can be confident they’ve got a good service that will be there when they need it.”

The report praised the force’s “positive working culture”, which Cllr Payne said was “especially important given the challenges in fire and police elsewhere around the country.”