The London Fire Brigade has been commended for making “significant improvements” to its performance since the last inspection conducted by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS). The Inspectorate now rates the Brigade as “outstanding” in its response to major and multi-agency incidents.

HMICFRS assessed the London Fire Brigade’s performance across 11 areas, grading it as ‘outstanding’ in one area, ‘good’ in five areas, ‘adequate’ in four areas, and ‘requires improvement’ in one area.

The Inspectorate highlighted the Brigade’s ability to respond quickly to fires and its effective prioritisation of home fire safety visits, ensuring those most at risk are addressed first. Additionally, the Brigade is making progress in improving its culture, supported by well-defined values and a strategic plan to drive service improvements and cultural change.

The London Fire Brigade’s contributions to counter-terrorism were particularly noted, with inspectors praising its leadership in designing and implementing the UK’s first Fire and Rescue counter-terrorism strategy. This work extends beyond London to national and international levels.

Despite the positive feedback, HMICFRS identified areas for improvement. The Brigade must enhance its systems for reviewing individual staff performance and development, as well as improve processes for addressing poor behaviour.

Progress on Recommendations

All 29 recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report, specific to the London Fire Brigade, have been implemented. Inspectors also noted that the Brigade has established well-developed policies and procedures for managing incidents like Grenfell Tower.

HMICFRS spokesperson Lee Freeman commented:

“It was a pleasure to revisit the London Fire Brigade. I’m grateful for the positive and constructive way in which the Brigade engaged with our inspection staff. I’m pleased to find significant improvements in the performance of the London Fire Brigade since our last inspection.”

Freeman added:

“The Brigade has improved its understanding of risk and other emergencies through its community risk management plan, entitled ‘Your London Fire Brigade’, which it has communicated to the public. It also continues to respond quickly to fires, and we’ve graded the Brigade as ‘outstanding’ in responding to major and multi-agency incidents.”

He also noted:

“However, the Brigade still needs to improve how it identifies and develops high-potential staff and also how it manages individual performance and development reviews. While there’s still more to do, it’s evident that the Brigade understands where to make these further improvements and has achievable plans in place for them.”

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