Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has scooped another award after a thorough evaluation at the 2020 Dyslexia Awards, held virtually on Friday, 27 November.

The Service won the the ‘Supportive Employer’ title for the second time - previously awarded in 2017 – with judge and Founder Elizabeth Wilkinson saying: “It is most definitely an exceptionally well deserved win, I am so proud of all that you do and of all our finalists.”

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has overcome challenging COVID-19 regulations and announced the latest round of dates for its firefighter taster sessions next month.

Rigorous safety measures have been put in place allowing the sessions to continue despite a change in restrictions and will now happen on Wednesday, 7 and Wednesday, 14 October.

The taster days allow members of the public interested in joining the fire service, the opportunity to experience certain aspects of the role.

We acknowledge there has been some criticism of the way the Service has organised its upcoming taster days.

The criticism has largely focussed on our decision to hold separate taster days for specific groups, namely women, LGBT+ and Black and minority ethnic groups. 

As a Service we are trying very hard to address issues that may be persuading some people from these groups that a career in the fire service is not suitable for them.  

By holding taster days tailored to address issues such as this, we believe we have a much better opportunity to dispel misunderstandings and provide people with good, accurate information.

We also want to reassure people that the modern fire and rescue service can offer them a fulfilling and rewarding career. 

Taster days are not recruitment days. They are an opportunity for under-represented groups in the fire service to find out more about working as a firefighter and to encourage them to apply for future vacancies.   

Taster days are positive action, they are not recruitment sessions.   

There are no quotas.   

When we have vacancies we employ the best that apply and only those that meet the standards. 

Positive action is frequently confused with positive discrimination. 

Taster days are an example of positive action, raising awareness amongst those groups, under-represented in our workforce. 
Positive discrimination is illegal and we would not act unlawfully.

A modern day firefighter is a public service role. As well as fighting fires and responding to emergenices, they work in schools and with young people, giving talks to community groups, supporting the vulnerable and most importantly working in people’s homes to prevent incidents.   

We want to be an inclusive service that reflects the communitiy we serve. To do that we want the best people to apply regardless of their age, gender, race or lifestyle for this diverse role. 

We have provided some responses to frequently asked questions that will be helpful in understanding why we carry out positive action. 

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is taking part in the National Fire Chiefs Council’s  (NFCC) "Ready Willing and Able" campaign which launches today (April 15 l) which will show how fire and rescue services in the UK are going the extra mile to protect and support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Firefighters and support staff across Shropshire will be sharing stories on social media about how they’re using their wide range of skills to provide community reassurance and help, in response to the national crisis.