CHESHIRE Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has gained national recognition for its commitment to equality and diversity.
The service was one of the first in the country to achieve Level 3 of the Local Government Equality Standard through a rigorous external assessment process.
The achievement was marked at a special awards ceremony in Manchester when the Equality Mark Certificate was presented to Chief Fire Officer Steve McGuirk, Fire Authority Equality lead member Cllr Nora Dolphin and Equalities and Diversity Officer Erin Fulton.
“I am delighted that we have achieved this standard – it is a clear recognition of the hard work put in by staff at all levels to ensure we consider equality issues in everything we do,” said Mr McGuirk.
“We have made excellent progress over the last couple of years but there is still more to do and our objective is to aim for excellence and achieve Level 5 of the standard.”
The independent assessment by experts from Edge Hill University involved a detailed review of the service’s policies and systems as well as extensive interviews with managers, staff, partners and fire authority members.
Cllr Dolphin added: “The award is excellent news for the authority as it demonstrates the excellent work done by firefighters and other staff in protecting and improving the safety of all sections of our local communities.”
The awards were presented by Professor Gus John, a leading authority in equality and diversity.
