Inspector ‘pleased’ with Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service after addressing concerns over firefighters' fitness levels

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has made “significant efforts” after a report published last year revealed the fitness of its firefighters was a cause for concern.

After an initial visit in February 2023, Roy Wilsher OBE from His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said: “Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service cannot assure itself that operational members of staff meet the minimum fitness requirements to perform their role.”

A report after a revisit in November said: “It has improved the way in which it assures itself that operational members of staff meet the minimum fitness requirements to perform their role.

“We recognise the considerable work that the service has carried out to improve. As a result, we now consider this cause of concern to be discharged.”

Fitness data given in February showed that in 2022/23 only 33 per cent of firefighters had completed fitness testing. Since then, “the service has used an external provider to address the backlog of fitness tests”, the report stated.

It continued: “During our revisit the service told us that 390 operational firefighters needed to complete a fitness test. The service provided data which showed that, between 1 April to 1 September 2023, 366 operational firefighters had completed this test.

“Only one firefighter didn’t reach the standard set by the service. The service safeguards the public by removing from operational duties any firefighter who doesn’t reach the required standard. The firefighter is then placed on a fitness programme and retested.

“At the time of our revisit, it had three qualified and competent physical fitness instructors to test operational firefighters.”

In response to the latest report, chief fire officer Andy Hopkinson said: “We are committed to firefighter fitness and are happy the Inspectorate has the reassurance needed to discharge the cause of concern.

“The report from last year highlights the hard work and dedication of our staff and collaborative work with partners to improve the service and we must not forget this. We set high standards for ourselves because we want the best for the public we serve and firefighter fitness continues to be one of these things.

“We will continue to aim high, look after our colleagues and transform to keep pace with the changing county of Bedfordshire.”