Equality Targets

Annual Conference is appalled at the Coalition Government’s scrapping of centrally driven ‘equality targets’ for under-represented groups in the Fire and Rescue Service. Instead, this responsibility has been handed over to the control of local Fire and Rescue Authorities, sending out a clear message that a centralised equality strategy for the UK Fire and Rescue Service is unimportant to this Government. Fire and Rescue Services have been historically reluctant to actively recruit women firefighters and are renowned for using positive action solely as a tick box exercise to achieve a ‘gold standard’ in auditing processes. The removal of centrally driven targets has not been equality impact assessed and will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on women. Conference calls upon the Executive Council to actively lobby Government to reinstate reflective targets and closely monitor the recruitment and retention of women firefighters within the UK Fire and Rescue Service.