Barking and Dagenham firefighters are seeking views on how they serve the community as part of a pilot for brigade-wide engagement work.
London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) new programme of engagement will give people across the capital the opportunity to have their say on what its fire service should look like.
The brigade wants to reach out particularly to those from black, Asian and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, disabled people and faith groups.
Borough Commander Narinder Dail, who will oversee the pilot in Barking and Dagenham, said: “This pilot will help us build on our normal community engagement routes and hopefully reach more people who haven't traditionally come forward with their views.
“This is everyone's London Fire Brigade and we want to hear residents’ opinions on what they want from us."
When London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe came to office just over a year ago, he pledged that the brigade would listen to and put communities at the heart of the work it does.
The engagement work will be piloted in Barking and Dagenham and seven other boroughs throughout the next year.
LFB will then begin to widen the scope and engage with communities across London.
The brigade says this will give people greater access and opportunity to engage in community safety plans that affect the areas they live in.
LFB will also listen to people’s experiences of the fire service, which will help develop its pan-London strategic plan for years to come.
The feedback will be considered when developing a new community risk management plan, which will define how LFB serves London and manages a period of transformation over the next few years.
Commissioner Roe said: “We serve all Londoners and work hard to keep every community safe, and that’s why it is essential that we capture the views of all the communities in our city.
"Over the last year, the pandemic has closed more doors and isolated more people, so we must do more now to hear voices from all of London's communities."
Visit https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/about-us/what-we-do/community-engagement-your-london-fire-brigade/ to find out more.
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