Positive action

Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) nationally suffer from under-representation of black and minority ethnic firefighters, failing to build a workforce reflective of their community demographics. The benefits of having an appropriately diverse workforce are well known, they improve public confidence in the Service and help forge stronger connections within those communities, allowing for more effective fire safety and prevention work which in turn lead to fewer incidents and fewer injuries and deaths.

Many FRSs have initiatives aimed at redressing this balance including ‘positive action’ where they attempt to engage with under-represented communities. These programmes are often poorly understood by the workforce and wider public, leading to controversy.

The Fire Brigades Union with its proud tradition of promoting equality must acknowledge the value of these initiatives and support the underlying principles.

Conference instructs the Executive Council to create a training package to deepen understanding around the scope, limitations, approach, need and effectiveness of ‘positive action’, including ‘myth-busting’ and best practice and make it available to all Members by Conference 2023.