The damning report has cast a pall over the LFB
(Picture: PA Wire)A London MP has called for firefighters to wear body-worn cameras when entering homes after a report found institutional racism and misogyny within the London Fire Brigade.
The report found shocking behaviour at almost all levels of the country’s largest fire service, including a noose being placed by a black firefighter’s locker, and a female firefighter being sent a video by a colleague of him exposing himself.
Speaking in the Commons, Labour MP for Edmonton, Kate Osamor, asked whether the home office would commit to “ensuring that firefighters are wearing body-worn videos when they enter families’ homes because the confidence right now will be very, very low.”
Among the 23 recommendations of the report is that the Brigade “consider introducing body worn video for fire safety home visits”.
Home Office minister Chris Philp said Brigade Commissioner Andy Roe had committed to implementing all of the report’s recommendations.
Speaking in response to an Urgent Question by Labour’s Dawn Butler, Mr Philp also said the discrimination detailed in the report was “completely unacceptable”.
"I complete agree with her that the behaviour and the incidents that she just enumerated that were uncovered by this report are completely unacceptable,” he said.
"They have no place in any modern public service whether it is the fire service, or anywhere else.
“I am sure the whole House will join her and me in condemning that sort of behaviour unreservedly.
"I spoke to the London Fire Brigade commissioner Andy Roe on Friday to set out my strong feelings that this behaviour is totally unacceptable and needs to completely end.”
Liberal Democrat MP, Munira Wilson, described some of the findings as “utterly shocking”.
The Twickenham MP asked if “we need a national inquiry into the culture (of) a number of public bodies because I think Londoners’ faith in many of our public services is shaken because the findings of this report are quite reminiscent of what we found in the Metropolitan Police”.
Mr Philp replied that he would raise the issue with the inspectorate of fire services to “to make sure this is an issue that they’re looking at.”
Commissioner Roe has vowed there will be “zero tolerance" approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination in the brigade after the report.
“What that means, if we think about the immediate steps, is that I expect to dismiss people as a result of this report,” he said.
“Clearly, there are some disturbing examples of where we have betrayed public confidence and trust."
The review was commissioned after an investigation into the death by suicide of firefighter Jaden Matthew Francois-Esprit In August 2020.
Mr Francois-Esprit had raised concerns about the workplace culture at the London Fire Brigade prior to his death.
