Latest news with #FinMonahan
South Wales Argus
22-05-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service responds to report
That's the view of Fin Monahan, chief fire officer at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said after His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) shared their report into the findings of an inspection they carried out of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service in November 2024. This is the first time this has been done in Wales, and used the HMICFRS inspection regime applied elsewhere in the UK. Addressing colleagues yesterday, Mr Monahan said: 'The report is a hard read. 'The main areas for us to improve in the report are understanding the risk of fire and other emergencies and protecting the public through fire regulations. 'We appreciate the feedback from colleagues that informed the report, and we thank the inspection team for the independent clarity they have given across 11 areas covering efficiency, effectiveness and people. 'I welcome this report, this is the first time we have been exposed to this deep inspection regime. Let's remember a lot of time has elapsed since the inspection. It began before my arrival and concluded during my second week in the Service; it is a snapshot in time from six months ago. Much has changed since then. 'I would like to reassure you. We have a robust plan for dealing with these recommendations in the form of our overarching strategy, which is a first for this service. It has 60 work strands and now guides the strategic plan and all other activities in this Service. We have already moved out on much of this work.' The Commissioners for South Wales FRA said they welcomed the report. 'This work builds on the earlier reports by the Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor to the Welsh government and the Fenella Morris KC review. 'This report provides a solid assessment of performance against a comprehensive range of factors that are commonly assessed against in the rest of the UK Fire and Rescue Services. We are pleased that, since the inspection in late 2024 that a considerable amount of progress has been made in addressing the recommendations in the report. 'One of the commissioners, Carl Foulkes, chairs the service improvement board which continues to monitor performance on progress and delivery every six weeks. 'We look forward to HMICFRS's revisit in the next 12-18 months and we are confident in the rate and level of progress which is being made in delivering those outcomes.' Further background information on progress on improvements being delivered is available on South Wales Fire and Rescue.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Concerns fire service can't keep people safe
There are concerns a fire service cannot keep people safe from fires and other risks, a report has found. The report by HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into South Wales Fire Service questioned the efficacy of the service in consistently identifying, prioritising and mitigate risks for the public. It was called for by the service's new commissioners after a series of damning independent reviews found sexual harrassment and misogynistic behaviour within the service. Fin Monahan, chief fire officer, described the findings as a "hard read" but assured colleagues there is a "robust" plan in place for dealing with the recommendations. Fire boss steps down after sexual harassment probe Firefighters let down by bosses, say politicians Fire service run like boys' club, says damning report The HMICFRS inspector, Roy Wilsher, said the service did not have up-to-date risk information to protect both the public and firefighters. The report also found it needed to "be more effective in tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination" following criticisms of its workplace culture identified in a previous review. It found one in six staff surveyed said they'd felt bullied or harassed at work, or discriminated against, and the number of disciplinary actions taken had doubled in two years. The fire service was taken over by the Welsh government in February 2024 after it was found to have a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny. Mr Wilsher concluded by saying: "I don't underestimate how much improvement is needed". He added he was encouraged by the commitment shown by the chief fire officer and commissioners to make improvements through developing a "transformation programme".
BBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Concerns South Wales Fire Service can't keep people safe
There are concerns a fire service's cannot keep people safe from fires and other risks, a report has report by HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) into South Wales Fire Service questioned the efficacy of the service in consistently identifying, prioritising and mitigate risks for the public. It was called for by the service's new commissioners after a series of damning independent reviews found sexual harrassment and misogynistic behaviour within the service. Fin Monahan, chief fire officer, described the findings as a "hard read" but assured colleagues there is a "robust" plan in place for dealing with the recommendations.
