Embracing our History and the Evolution of Diversity in the Fire and Rescue Service

In order to shape our future workforce we recognise it is important to understand the evolution and history of our service and the people who have served.

We asked 200 people in face to face surveys at community events in Kent over the summer of 2007 what images they had of Kent Fire & Rescue Service. We were delighted to hear that we were held in high esteem by the public but that the overwhelming majority think of fire-fighters as male and most women had never thought of us when choosing career options at school or later.

This research echoes a national image of the Fire Service as male and working class.

This powerful imagery gives us real difficulty in attracting different people. It fails to recognise HOW our workforce has been developing through history, why it is predominantly male and its increasing rich diversity.

This section is a short account of our history which illustrates how men have played such an important role in developing fire and rescue services but also recognises that we have been evolving and embracing difference for a long long time. We need to continue that work and re-establish a modern image of our service in the minds of our customers.