According to a devastating cultural evaluation, the London Fire Brigade is “institutionally misogynistic and racist.”
A noose was placed beside the locker of a black firefighter, while a female firefighter received a video of a coworker exposing himself.
The London Fire Commissioner established the independent review after a trainee firefighter committed suicide in August 2020.
Commissioner Andy Roe stated that prejudice, harassment, and bullying had no place in the brigade.
“As of today, it will be crystal apparent to all employees what unacceptable behavior is and what the penalties will be,” he continued.
Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, said in his analysis that until the “toxic culture” is addressed, other firemen may commit suicide.
It details several instances of misconduct and abuse at nearly all levels of the London Fire Brigade (LFB), including:
Multiple instances of bullying and the targeting of ethnic minorities and women, with some complaints not being investigated.
One woman, who received video calls from a man exhibiting his genitalia, was “sexually taunted.”
At several fire stations, men were “huddled around a screen watching pornography.”
Mr. Afzal stated that the report was “awful reading.”
Mr. Afzal stated, “We’ve heard example after example of women who were harassed or sexually attacked – continual sexual taunting to the point where I am now declaring that the London Fire Brigade is institutionally misogynist.”
“In addition to widespread misogyny, there is also a great deal of racism. A noose was hung above the locker of a black guy, and a Muslim cop had bacon rolled on his plate before eating.
“Women reported that male firefighters told them, “We want you out of here, we don’t want you to be a fire officer.” It relates to the concept of a fireman as a whole.
“A very senior female officer told me, through tears, that anytime she faces a potentially dangerous situation, she always wonders, “Will the males have my back?” Considering how they handled me at the station, will the men surrounding me defend me?
“If they feel they cannot trust the guys around them due to their behavior or misbehavior, then neither they nor we are safe.”
The research also discovered that while the brigade showed “great sensitivity” towards racial issues, there appeared to be “a troubling blind spot” about misogyny and sexism.
One firefighter urged her female friends not to let male firemen into their homes to offer safety advice because “they search women’s drawers for underwear and sex toys.”
The assessment suggests that firemen now wear body-worn cameras during house calls.
According to the report, the actions of some brigade personnel left “a clear trail of psychological trauma.”
Mr. Afzal stated that racism, misogyny, and bullying within the London Fire Brigade are significantly more pervasive.
As he conducted the evaluation, he was approached by other fire departments and organizations.
“People pleading with me to come and experience my culture.
“I advise those who are quick to pass judgment on the London Fire Brigade to look in the mirror and at themselves because they will notice similar behavior.
Their employees require the same assistance and security that London Fire Brigade must provide for theirs.
Mr. Roe stated that he was “horrified” and “heartbroken” upon reading the story.
When asked if he agreed with the review’s conclusion that the organization is institutionally misogynistic and racist, he responded, “Yes.” “When 2,000 of your employees have written that tale, I do not believe you can dispute any of it. I accept the entire report and all of the recommendations.
“Change will occur, and it has already begun”
“As of Monday, we will outsource to outside specialists all of our investigations into complaints, harassment, and bullying,” he stated.
Mr. Roe stated that he hoped employees would have the courage to express problems and that the organization would “take action against individuals who fail to provide satisfactory service.”
Even seniority does not appear to have shielded some women from abuse: former Commissioner Dany Cotton, the first woman to command LFB, reported receiving death threats in response to the anti-sexism campaign she was advocating.
Despite several shortcomings, the majority of participants believed their workplace to be “supporting and kind.”
It also found examples of “excellent leadership,” such as individuals who “went out of their way to create inclusive workplaces and implement a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination,” but labeled the brigade’s leadership as “uneven and spotty.”
Black, Asian, and minority ethnic employees felt they “must work twice as hard to be heard and noticed,” according to research, which also stated that non-white employees were more likely to be penalized and less likely to be promoted.
In one incident, a Muslim firefighter’s coworkers spoke to him with an Indian accent and added bacon to his meal.
According to the account, when he transferred to a new watch, his coworkers placed a pig sausage in his pocket. Subsequently, a terrorism hotline sticker was placed on his locker, but his complaints were not taken seriously. He was finally hospitalized after collapsing at work and has since been diagnosed with PTSD and suicide ideation.
The fire at Grenfell Tower is described as having a “seismic effect on the culture of the London Fire Brigade,” notably on the mental health of its employees.
The North Kensington fire station, located less than a mile from the tower, was “widely acknowledged as a supportive station with a strong and diverse culture.”
The details of misogyny and bigotry, according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, are “abhorrent,” and the findings of Mr. Afzal’s assessment “must be nothing short of a watershed moment for the London Fire Brigade.”
