Fire service's staff disproportionately white, male, and heterosexual, report claims
The county’s fire brigade is disproportionately white, male and heterosexual compared to the general population, a report says.
Equality monitoring statistics gathered by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service show the number of non-white employees has stayed the same since last year, while the proportion of brigade workers identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual has fallen.
Both figures are well below the nationwide average suggested by census data.
The document, co-authored by Chief Fire Officer Rod Hammerton and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer Natalie Parkinson and due to be discussed by fire authority members next week, also says women are “disproportionately under-represented in the operational workforce”.
The 2010 Equality Act requires public bodies to publish statistics about its workforce, and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service breaks these down by age, disability, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, the report authors say.
They add that the equality monitoring form now also includes a question about gender identity.
“The statistics are used to analyse the composition of our workforce in order to identify protected characteristics that are under-represented by comparison with the makeup of the communities we serve,” Officer Hammerton and Ms Parkinson write.
“This enables us to plan for positive action and other appropriate initiatives to address imbalances.”
They write that the brigade workforce has a “very low number” of BAME or LGB people.
Officer Hammerton and Ms Parkinson note that the 2011 census found BAME people account for seven per cent of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin population but make up 1.9 per cent of the brigade workforce, and the number of non-white employees had not changed since the preceding year.
The report authors add: “Generally accepted estimates put the percentage of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the general population at around seven to 10 per cent.
“Current workforce monitoring responses show a figure of 0.7 per cent.
“There is a slight decrease from last year, which was 0.8 per cent.”
Officer Hammerton and Ms Parkinson note, however, that 3.7 per cent of people, amounting to 21 employees selected “prefer not to say” when surveyed.
They add the brigade “continues to encourage staff to accurately report their details” and informs them of how it is used during induction.
Only last year the service came in for criticism from some on social who were angered by its plan to hold special recruitment session for members of the LGBT community, women, and black, asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups.
Speaking at the time Officer Hammerton defended the move, which was welcomed by representatives of minority groups.
The Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority Strategy and Resources Committee will discuss the latest report when it meets on Thursday, March 18.
