Merseyside's fire service said "more needs to be done" after a worrying national report found evidence of bullying and discrimination in every region.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that a "pack-like" mentality in some fire services made people fearful of reporting colleagues and caused them to believe nothing would happen if they did. Inspector Roy Wilsher said the cases uncovered so far "could be just the tip of the iceberg".
The national report contained multiple examples of misogynistic, racist and homophobic incidents including two male firefighters "acting out the rape" of a female colleague. The report, which looked into all 44 fire services, called for an overhaul of vetting and misconduct processes for firefighters, including legal changes to expand criminal record searches and a new body to set standards.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) today told the ECHO: "We believe we have come a long way, but we know we still have more to do." The spokesperson added: "We hold ourselves to very high standards and want to ensure we perform our very best.
"The desire to serve and protect applies to the work we do in our communities but also to the way we treat our people. A vital part of this is the culture we create, we know that the things we walk past must be the standards that we set."
MFRS said it had made efforts in recent years to listen to all staff and to create a "highly inclusive environment". The spokesperson added: "We don't shy away from difficult conversations, tough decisions or from taking decisive action if we feel our values are being compromised."
MFRS promised it investigated all reports of poor behaviour and dealt with them "swiftly and appropriately", while equality training was delivered to all staff in the service.
If you work or have worked for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and have been victim to bullying or discrimination please email patrick.edrich@reachplc.com.
The watchdog investigation follows a previous report on the London Fire Brigade that included examples of mocking people's religion and taking bets on who would be the first to sleep with a woman. MFRS said it had reviewed the previous reports and would be adopting HMICFRS's findings into its working practice.
The spokesperson said: "These reports combined will in turn help us deliver a single integrated, clear and widely understood strategy for workforce culture and transformation which we are determined to deliver." They added: "We are determined to listen and act. We are not immune to such behaviour; we know that and so we are definitive that if such behaviour is affecting our staff, or we are doing things that impact on them negatively based on organisationally embedded behaviours we want to hear about it.
"Our immediate intention is to introduce an independent confidential reporting line. We will also continue to access external help, working with experts and stakeholders to ensure we not only receive support but also critical external challenge to help on our journey towards continuous improvement.
"Our ambition remains clear; to transform our culture to one where we know all our staff feel a strong sense of belonging and our diversity becomes our superpower; this in turn will enable us to perform at our best. We are clear there is no place for racism, misogyny and homophobia in our Fire and Rescue Service.
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