Review of progress against recommendations within the Independent Inspection of Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Report 2023

How this inspection was carried out

The purpose of this inspection was to review progress against recommendations contained within the HMFSI report titled “Independent Inspection of the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service”, published September 2023.

His Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate in Scotland (HMFSI) is a statutory body that operates within, but entirely independent of, the Scottish Government. The Inspectorate exists to provide independent, risk based, and proportionate professional inspection of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). It performs an important role in the overall governance of the SFRS providing assurance to the people of Scotland and Scottish Ministers that the SFRS is working in an efficient and effective manner, meeting its statutory responsibilities and delivering Best Value.

Northern Ireland does not have its own Fire Service Inspectorate, and whilst HMFSI has no statutory standing or powers in Northern Ireland, there is a long-established professional relationship between HMFSI and the Department of Health (DoH) in Northern Ireland, with HM Chief Inspector of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (The Chief Inspector) having been asked to provide advice to DoH on a number of occasions since this relationship was first established.

This review of progress was carried out on the request of the Department of Health and supported by the Board and Executive Leadership Team of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

The following persons contributed to the Inspection and to the report:

Robert Scott QFSM, Chief Inspector
Graeme Fraser, Assistant Inspector

We are grateful to Dan Stephens QFSM, Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser and Inspector for Wales who provided peer review of this report.

Methodology

This inspection has involved different methods of evidence gathering and analysis:

• desk top review of documents and data supplied by NIFRS.
• face-to-face engagement with the Chief Fire and Rescue Officer and all members of the Executive Leadership Team.
• face-to-face and virtual interviews with the Chair of the NIFRS Board and Chairs of various Board committees.
• interviews with key members of the DoH Sponsor Team.
• face-to-face and virtual interviews with NIFRS staff leading on key areas of business.
• face-to-face discussion with wholetime and on-call fire crews.