Council leader to meet fire service after review reveals bullying culture and low morale.
Crest Advisory did the review and found discrimination and sexual harassment. Bullying was also among staff concerns. Senior fire staff plan to act on the report.
Councilor Cameron asked about the report at a meeting and quoted the report’s findings on March 6. He stated that the fire service has internal divisions.
The report described a “culture of fear,” noting mistrust and disconnection. Staff felt unsupported by leaders, which led to low morale and growing inequality.
The report mentioned fear of retaliation and addressed a lack of confidence in leaders’ action. It said that resistance to change existed, especially at the top.
The report urged “transformative reforms.” This included modernizing the fire service’s culture and rebuilding trust with bold action.
Cameron asked the council leader to meet with the fire chief and wanted details of measures to fix these issues. Council Leader Harvey shares these concerns and confirmed that work has already started. Harvey has scheduled a meeting for March 20.
Cameron welcomed Harvey’s response. He stressed the report’s critical view of bullying and praised the fire service for commissioning it.
Fire Authority Chair Gwynfor Thomas is saddened by the findings. He thanked those who gave honest feedback and said they must urgently act on the issues.