The Service is consulting on four proposed objectives that will help guide the way we provide our services to communities across the county and best support our staff. 

The four proposed Equality Objectives outline ways in which we aim to provide a more accessible service, retain talent and promote opportunities across the fire and rescue sector.  

From Monday, 8 December 2025, to Monday, 16 February 2026, we are asking residents, businesses and community groups to have their say on the newly proposed objectives. 

“As a Service, RBFRS is firmly committed to ensuring that we deliver the best possible services to everyone in Berkshire.  We have an obligation to engage with and protect all our communities across the county. This obligation is not something we take lightly. 

The proposed Equality Objectives are a way in which we can measure our success in this regard. They have been created with a view to helping us provide a more accessible effective service, retain and develop our talent, and promote opportunities within the fire and rescue sector. 

The objectives consider four different themes that will help us achieve our goal of keeping our communities safe. They look at how easy it is for people to access our Services, how we can foster stronger relations with our communities and how we can also continue to look after our own staff. 

We have an obligation under the Public Sector Equality Duty to ensure that we advance equality through the delivery of our services, and these objectives have been created to help us deliver practical change for the better. 

We would greatly appreciate your feedback on the proposed objectives and how you think we could create a more accessible and ultimately effective fire and rescue service.”

Wayne Bowcock, Chief Fire Officer

As part of the consultation, we are proposing to adopt the following four Equality Objectives over the next four years: 

Using risk-based analysis and robust evidence, we will ensure our prevention, protection and response activities are targeted where they are needed most, particularly for communities who face higher risks or barriers. 

What does this mean?  ​ 

We will strengthen our understanding of the diverse communities we serve, including their specific needs, vulnerabilities and risks, to shape evidence-based service delivery. This means ensuring that our prevention, protection, and response services are guided by data and informed by meaningful input from underrepresented and at-risk groups. By doing so, we aim to provide more equitable access to service and improve safety outcomes for all. 

We will actively promote RBFRS as an employer of choice and will seek to attract and retain a workforce that reflects the community of Berkshire.  

What does this mean?  ​ 

We want to be an employer of choice, where the best talent is attracted, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive. We want to be known not just for what we do but for how we treat our people and the positive environment we create. We are committed to building a workplace where people from all backgrounds feel like they belong and are valued.   

We will cultivate a workplace culture where every individual feels a strong sense of belonging by embedding inclusive behaviours into everyday interactions. 

What does this mean?  

By setting clear expectations for professional and inclusive behaviour and embedding this into daily practices, we will create an environment where everyone feels safe, supported and included – not just through policies, but through everyday actions.  

We will support employees to grow their knowledge, awareness and inclusive skills, while encouraging reflection and dialogue that challenges assumptions and address bias. We will continue to foster a culture where everyone understands, respects, and values the diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences of colleagues and the communities we serve. 

We will continue to embed inclusion into the planning, design and delivery of our services in order to proactively reduce barriers across our communications, processes and premises. 

What does this mean? ​ 

We are committed to ensuring that everyone can access our services, premises and information. This means taking a proactive, not reactive approach to identifying barriers and designing inclusive solutions from the outset. By continuing to use Equality Impact Assessments effectively, we can ensure that the potential impacts of our decisions on different groups are considered early enabling us to design more inclusive and accessible services.    

We are setting Equality Objectives to ensure that we can provide a more focussed, accessible and effective service to all communities across Berkshire in line with our statutory requirements. The objectives also place a great emphasis on supporting and valuing our staff and how we retain our talent, with a view to creating more opportunities for people within the Service.

The proposed objectives are outcome focussed and aim to deliver practical change that will improve the quality and access to the services that we provide. 

As a public sector body, we have obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) to ensure that its advances equality through the delivery of its services. 

• Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristics and people who do not.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not. 

Public Sector organisations are required to set these objectives every four years, and the proposed Equality Objectives look to build on the previous Objectives adopted by the Service in 2022. You can read our previous objectives by visiting the consultation page on our website. 

Have your say by completing the consultation on our website. 

The consultation is also available in other languages:

• Complete the consultation in Polish
• Complete the consultation in Romanian
• Complete the consultation in Urdu

To request versions of the consultation in different languages or printed versions of the consultation documents – call 01189 452888 or email us via consultations@rbfrs.co.uk 

The information is also available in an easy read format.

If you need the consultation in another format (for example, large print, easy read, or translated into another language), please contact us via the above number or email and we will provide it.