Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is making concerted efforts to dispel the belief that Fire and Rescue is a career solely for men.

The organisation is committed to making the service attractive to all underrepresented groups, including women.

Chief Fire Officer Mark Baxter, chair of a newly created Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) steering group, is leading the charge.

Speaking to the Public Protection and Communities Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, Baxter said, "There is still a cultural belief out there that fire rescue is a career for men only.

"We are absolutely committed to changing this. Fire and Rescue is a career for absolutely everybody within our communities."

A report before the council said there did "not appear to be institutionalised issues of poor behaviours such as misogyny, racism, or bullying".

"However, it is also clear that there is no room for complacency and that there are examples of where behaviours need to improve and be addressed," it said.

There has recently been a national focus on culture within Fire and Rescue Services following recent reports of unacceptable behaviours in some other services.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is assessing its recruitment and selection processes to understand where potential recruits are dropping out or not progressing.

Changes have been made to enable more people to reach the interview stage, without compromising the required standards.

However, Lincolnshire presents a unique challenge. Two-thirds of the workforce are on call and must live within five minutes of their fire station, limiting the pool of potential recruits.

The EDI steering group is managing an action plan to address areas of concern identified in an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), an independent body that assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire & rescue services.

The HMICFRS recently issued a document on "values and culture in fire and rescue services" which resulted in thirty-four recommendations to be implemented by April 2024.

The organisation is working on improving its culture and getting the right people in.

Mr Baxter said getting the culture right would enable everyone to perform more effectively.

It includes the launch of an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion training program for all staff and established staff networks in areas such as LGBT+, Women in Fire Service, Neurodiversity, and Non-operational network.

LFR has consolidated the recommendations into an action plan and assigned strategic leaders to address the nineteen recommendations that are the direct responsibility of Chief Fire Officers.

The reports indicate that LFR is making positive strides against the recommendations, with several items already completed.

Councillors reacted positively to Baxter's presentation, with Councillor Adam Stokes thanking him for his thorough and informative report.

The committee agreed to endorse the report and record their satisfaction with the service's overall efforts. They requested updates on the progression of actions in a further report in March 2024.