JERSEY’S fire service “lacks the capacity and capability” to safely deliver its legal duties while the government demonstrates a “high level of tolerance of significant risks”, a damning audit has found.
The Comptroller and Auditor General this morning released a report in to the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service, which found a catalogue of major issues its operation.
Among the key findings were:
- The service is operating with a large number of “extreme risks” at current staffing and resource levels
- Progress on key digital projects has been slow
- A clear strategic plan incorporating all known risks needs to be implemented
- Risks were identified in 2021, but no additional funding was incorporated into the fire service budget until 2023.
C&AG Lynn Pamment did find the service had been successful in attracting new recruits and had been carrying out a “substantial array” of training courses aimed at improving the situation.
However, Ms Pamment said that “key emergency measures” have been delayed which is expected to increase operational risk and that, even with additional funding agreed, the risk level may not be reduced until 2027 – with current measures not suitable to resolve them.
The report says: “Additional funding does not start to mitigate most of the extreme risks until 2027.
“Even then it is potentially insufficient to fully mitigate many of them.”
Concerns were also raised about firefighters safety while on the job, with retained staff only having one set of PPE, which “represents a health and safety risk”.
In response, Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat said her department will consider the points made carefully in the near future.
“The report correctly identifies that additional funding has been approved for the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service in the Budget 2026-2029,” she said.
“There has been recent investment in the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service, and the service is working through a programme of improvement. It is acknowledged that there is more to do. Some of the recommendations made by the C&AG are already underway as part of existing work.”
She emphasised the importance of the department and the work they continue to carry out, supporting Islanders through not only fires, but other emergencies too, as required.
“The States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service is made up of dedicated and highly skilled people, used to responding to fast-moving and complex scenarios,” she said. “I would reassure Islanders that the service is always there to help them in an emergency. I thank everyone who is part of the service for all their continued commitment and service.”
