Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is consulting the public on four proposed objectives that will help guide the way it provides its services to communities across the county and best support its staff.
The four proposed Equality Objectives outline ways in which RBFRS seeks to provide a more accessible service, retain talent and create new opportunities within the fire and rescue sector.
As part of the consultation, the service is proposing to adopt four ‘Equality Objectives’ over the next four years.
These include ‘equitable access’–using risk-based analysis and robust evidence to ensure its Prevention, Protection and Response activities are targeted where they are needed most, particularly for communities who face higher risks or barriers.
The second is ’employer of choice’, aiming to promote itself as an employer of choice and seeking to attract and retain a workforce that reflects the community of Berkshire.
‘Belonging at work’ will see it cultivate a workplace culture where every individual feels a strong sense of belonging by embedding inclusive behaviours into everyday interactions.
The last is ‘inclusive by design’, where the service will continue to embed inclusion into the planning, design and delivery of its services in order to proactively reduce barriers across our communications, processes and premises.
The Service is setting the objectives to ensure that it can provide a more focused, accessible and effective service to all communities across Berkshire in line with its statutory requirements.
The objectives also place a great emphasis on supporting and valuing staff and how RBFRS can best retain its talent, with a view to creating more opportunities for people within the Service.
Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer, said: “We’re reaching out to communities across the county to better understand their needs and how we can best keep them safe.
“Berkshire is a diverse county with communities that have vastly different needs. We understand that what works for residents in a high-rise in Bracknell may not for a rural community in Lambourn.
“Therefore, we want to give everyone the opportunity to have their say on how their fire and rescue service operates.”
He explained: “This consultation gives residents across all communities the opportunity to feedback on how to make the service even more accessible and how to look after our staff even better, with an ultimate aim to keeping all of our communities safe.”
RBFRS is asking residents, businesses and community groups to have their say on the newly proposed objectives set out from Monday, December 8, until February 16.
