London firefighters face sack over bullying and racist behaviour

Firefighters look the sack if they are recovered to person bullied oregon been racist, misogynistic oregon homophobic, London Fire Brigade's brag said.

Commissioner Andy Roe made the comments aft an independent review recovered the brigade was "institutionally misogynist and racist".

The reappraisal elaborate accounts ranging from women being groped to radical having their helmets filled with urine.

The reappraisal was ordered aft a fireman took his ain beingness successful August 2020.

Led by Nazir Afzal, a erstwhile main crown prosecutor, the study recovered the occurrence work had "dangerous levels of ingrained prejudice against women", portion colleagues from number backgrounds were "frequently the people of racist abuse".

The report, which makes 23 recommendations, was based connected the experiences of hundreds of unit members.

It listed a fig of instances of maltreatment and mediocre behaviour astatine astir each levels of London Fire Brigade (LFB), including:

A pistillate firefighter told the reappraisal the threshold for bullying was truthful precocious "you would person to gouge someone's eyes retired to get sacked... everything other is seen arsenic banter".

Talking to the BBC, Mr Afzal said: "I sat with a precise elder pistillate serviceman who said to me, done tears, that whenever she goes done a unsafe incident, she's ever thinking: 'Will the men person my back? Will the men astir maine support maine fixed however they person treated maine backmost astatine the station?

"If they consciousness they can't spot the men astir them due to the fact that of their behaviour oregon misbehaviour and worse, past they aren't harmless and neither are we."

In response, Commissioner Roe said determination would beryllium a "zero tolerance" attack to bullying, harassment and discrimination.

"What that means, if we deliberation astir the contiguous steps, is that I expect to disregard radical arsenic a effect of this report.

"Clearly, determination are immoderate disturbing examples of wherever we person betrayed nationalist assurance and trust."

When asked however galore could suffer their jobs, helium added: "If we find that you person behaved successful a mode that is highlighted successful this report, determination is not a spot for you successful the London Fire Brigade.

"In a mode the numbers don't substance to me."

He said they needed to commencement the process "immediately" and that determination were nary estimates connected however overmuch it would cost.

He added: "I've been successful rooms wherever radical usage frankly racist language, and I'll telephone it retired caput on, I'll explicate however it made maine feel.

"I wanted to person a speech with radical arsenic overmuch arsenic thing due to the fact that my acquisition of this is that radical don't adjacent cognize they're causing offence sometimes."

The reappraisal was established successful effect to the decease of firefighter Jaden Francois-Esprit, who took his ain life successful August 2020.

His household were acrophobic helium had been bullied due to the fact that of his race, the study said.

Commissioner Roe said helium had spoken to Mr Francois-Esprit's household connected much than 1 occasion, and that helium would speech to them again astatine a "time that's champion for them".

"I would apologise to them arsenic I person erstwhile I met them previously, and I would inquire them if they could spot the study arsenic the catalyst for alteration this organisation needs and that study was driven by the tragic decease of their son.

"So if determination has to beryllium a bequest for Jaden past fto it beryllium that helium was the crushed we called this study successful specified a mode and fto his bequest beryllium 1 of change."

Mr Afzal said the racism, misogyny and bullying identified wrong the LFB was acold much widespread.

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, helium said helium was approached by different occurrence brigades and organisations arsenic helium undertook the review.

"People telling maine 'please, delight travel and person a look astatine my culture'," said Mr Afzal.

"I inquire anyone who's rushing to judgement connected London Fire Brigade to look successful the reflector and look astatine themselves due to the fact that they volition spot akin things happening."

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's interim main officer, Ross Haggart, said it would reappraisal the study successful item to see what lessons could beryllium learned and wherever further improvements could beryllium made successful Scotland.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said successful a connection that the study confirmed concerns it had raised implicit galore years.

Gareth Cook, FBU's determination organiser for London, said morale and engagement astatine LFB was low.

"The reappraisal has recovered that unit fearfulness the consequences of speaking retired arsenic they fearfulness the repercussions. That is wholly unacceptable and indispensable change," helium said.

"We person raised concerns astir galore of the issues contained wrong this study historically and arsenic a effect we stay sceptical astir the changes elder leaders volition instrumentality with regards to their ain behaviours."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the details of misogyny and racism were "abhorrent" and said the findings of Mr Afzal's reappraisal "must beryllium thing abbreviated of a watershed infinitesimal for the London Fire Brigade".

Do you enactment successful a occurrence service? Have you had acquisition of misogynistic oregon racist behaviour astatine work? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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