Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service rated as 'good' in 9 of 11 inspection areas

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) has been assessed as ‘Good’ in 9 of 11 inspection areas placing it amongst the countries top performing fire and rescue services.

In the Services inspection report by the independent watchdog His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services Lee Freeman KPM said he was pleased with the performance of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks.

HMICFRS has statutory powers to inspect and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of all fire and rescue services in England. The inspection allows the public to see how well their local service is performing and improving year on year.

Inspectors visited Derbyshire in November/December 2024 to speak to leaders and employees in addition to interrogating and testing key strategies and service policies and procedures. HMICFRS also shared a staff survey with DFRS employees ahead of their visit to ensure they had full insight to form any key lines of inquiry for their inspection.

In producing their report, inspectors graded the Service on how well DFRS performed in 11 assessment areas including understanding fires and other risks, preventing fires and other risks, protecting the public through fire regulation, responding to fires and other emergencies, future affordability, responding to major and multi-agency incidents and promoting the right values and culture.

Responding to the publication of Derbyshire’s third HMICFRS inspection report, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Rob Taylor said: “It is with pride that I read our latest HMICFRS inspection report which acknowledges and recognises the dedication and professionalism of our people, who work together to keep the communities of Derbyshire safe.

“I welcome the reports focus on organisational culture, which recognises our Service as ‘Good’ at promoting the right values and culture and I remain committed to ensuring we maintain a progressive, positive and inclusive culture for the communities we serve and our workforce.

“Inspectors also graded the Service as ‘Good’ for responding to fires and emergencies, preventing fires and other risks, and protecting the public through fire regulation - something that has been in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents across the UK and the subsequent introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 which came into force in 2023.

“As with all inspection reports, it is important that inspectors provide the public with an overview of improvements that have been made and areas where inspectors feel improvements should be made. In our last inspection report published in January 2022, inspectors cited two areas for improvement relating to equality, diversity and inclusion. It is with credit to the Service and our people that in today’s report, not only did inspectors grade the Service as ‘Good’ for ensuring fairness and promoting diversity, but they also highlighted ‘promising practice’ relating to the introduction of a new disciplinary and grievance process. This promising practice has already been shared with all fire and rescue services for learning and best practice.

“I have already talked about Derbyshire being a progressive fire and rescue service and in doing so I remain committed to continuously seeking to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our Service and to making progress in the two areas that received a grade of ‘Adequate’ and ‘Requires Improvement’. I am pleased to report that in both areas progress has been made with improvements already in place relating to recording and monitoring non-safety critical training. Two further areas for improvement have also been identified and work to ensure our selection and promotions process is fair and transparent is well underway following an independent review in 2024.

“Overall, this is a really positive report for the Service and as we continue planning for our next Community Risk Management Plan for 2026 – 2029, I hope that our communities are assured that we are all working extremely hard to deliver an outstanding, inclusive, and progressive fire and rescue service, putting our communities and workforce first.”

Outgoing Chair of the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Trevor Ainsworth said: “I speak on behalf of all members of the fire and rescue authority when I say that we are both assured and delighted that HMICFRS inspectors have rated Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service as ‘Good’ in 9 of 11assessment areas.

"The report reflects the dedication and hard work of all our employees and their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional services.  This report should reassure Derbyshire communities that they are in safe hands, and the Service will continue to strive for excellence in keeping Derbyshire safe. Thank you to each and every member of our team for your invaluable contributions.”

You can read the full HMICFRS report for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service on the HMICFRS website.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is currently engaging with the communities of Derbyshire through a survey to help with planning and informing the next Community Risk Management Plan for 2026 – 2029. You can take part in this survey here.