Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime has welcomed new Government funding and commitments to improve firefighter health and wellbeing, saying they strongly align with local priorities to protect both frontline staff and the communities they serve.
This week, the Government announced a new national programme of bespoke health support for firefighters, including regular, consistent health checks and funded research into the long-term physical and mental health impacts of the job. The measures form part of a new Firefighters’ Concordat on Health and Wellbeing, developed with the profession.
Leaders across York and North Yorkshire say the announcement reflects concerns already being raised locally and builds on work set out in the Mayor’s Fire and Rescue Plan and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP).
Firefighters in York and North Yorkshire routinely respond to fires, serious road traffic collisions, flooding and other emergencies, often in hazardous environments. While their role is to protect the public, local leaders say it is vital that those who run towards danger are properly protected themselves – during service and long after.
Local discussions, including via the Deputy Mayor’s fire and rescue Online Public Meeting held on Thursday 16 April, highlighted the long-term health risks firefighters face from exposure to contaminants, physical strain and trauma, with impacts that may not appear until years later. The Government announcement is being seen as a crucial step in addressing those risks consistently across the country.
York and North Yorkshire is well placed to make the most of the new national funding and framework. The Mayor’s Fire and Rescue Plan sets clear priorities around workforce wellbeing, safety and resilience, recognising that a healthy, supported workforce is central to protecting local people.
At the same time, the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) already places a strong emphasis on understanding and reducing risk, not just to communities, but to firefighters themselves, through prevention, evidence-led decision-making and safe operational practice.
Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime said:
Firefighters in York and North Yorkshire face real physical and mental demands in their work protecting our communities. This Government commitment recognises that firefighter health and wellbeing must be treated as a long-term priority, not an afterthought.
Mayor David Skaith and I have made workforce safety and wellbeing central to our Fire and Rescue Plan and this national funding will help strengthen our local work.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Dyson said: “I welcome the Government’s commitment to improving firefighter health and wellbeing through the introduction of a Firefighters’ Concordat, stronger national research and a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention.
A clearer, evidence-based national approach particularly around occupational health monitoring and better recognition of the risks firefighters face has the potential to make a meaningful difference during service and long after people leave the role. We already work hard to protect the health of our workforce and it’s important that this builds on existing good practice and strengthens consistency.
Looking after firefighter health is not just about supporting our people it is fundamental to protecting the communities we serve. A healthy, well-supported workforce is better able to respond safely and effectively and that resilience benefits everyone. We look forward to engaging with partners across the sector to help shape a concordat.”
The benefits of the programme will be felt beyond the fire station. When firefighters are healthier and better supported, they are better able to respond safely and effectively to emergencies, supporting public confidence and the long-term resilience of local fire and rescue services.
The Combined Authority will work closely with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, national partners and the Government as further details of the programme are confirmed.