Nottinghamshire Fire Service has 'work to do’ on diversity despite rise in female and ethnic minority firefighters

A meeting of the Nottinghamshire Fire Authority on July 26 was told NFRS has increased the number of female firefighters in its overall workforce by 27 per cent in the 12 months to April.

This equates to the number of female firefighters at the emergency service rising from 43 to 55.

However, the service remains male-dominated.

Figures from 2023 show there are around 650 firefighters, across full-time and retained, meaning more than 90 per cent are male.

A smaller rise of 13 per cent has been seen in its black, Asian and minority ethnic workforce, from 37 to 42 firefighters – although overall almost 90 per cent of firefighters are white.

Over time, service leaders want the workforce to better represent the local population.

About 66 per cent of Nottingham city residents are white, while in Nottinghamshire county about 95 per cent of residents are white.

The authority agreed that more cultural reform and increased diversity across is still needed.

The meeting heard that, during a 2023 to 2024 recruitment campaign, of the 34 successful applicants, just over a third were either female or from a minority ethnic group.

Michael Payne MP (Lab), authority chair, said: “The more we make this workplace a welcoming place where people can be who they want to be without fear of discrimination, the more you are likely to retain people and attract people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

“I think it’s a positive journey here in the service but there is always more work to do.”

The fire authority is a panel which monitors NFRS’ performance and spending.

Members include city and county councillors.

An ‘annual assurance report’, presented to the authority at the meeting, said: “We are committed to improving the diversity of applicants for roles at all levels within the service, particularly for operational roles.

“We continue to engage in positive action activities within our communities, encouraging people to apply for a career as a firefighter and supporting them through the application process.”