HMICFRS

Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2025–2027: Avon Fire and Rescue Service

Published 24 June 2026 Fire & Rescue Inspection 29 areas for improvement

The organisations covered are not linked in this record. Check the original report for its scope and addressees.

Areas for improvement 29

Area for improvement A1

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure the service plan clearly links to its strategies and that it adequately resources core functions.

Area for improvement A2

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure that it oversees and scrutinises enforcement activity effectively to make sure the risk to the public is reduced.

Area for improvement A3

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that its use of enforcement powers prioritises the highest risks and includes proportionate activity to reduce risk.

Area for improvement A4

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has an effective quality assurance process so staff carry out audits to an appropriate standard.

Area for improvement A5

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has an effective system to learn from operational incidents.

Area for improvement A6

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that it has procedures in place to record important operational decisions made at incidents and that staff understand these procedures well.

Area for improvement A7

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it understands how to adopt national operational guidance, including joint and national learning, and puts a plan in place to implement this.

Area for improvement A8

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to improve how it monitors performance against its response standards

Area for improvement A9

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has an effective method to share fire survival guidance information with multiple callers and that it has a dedicated communication link in place.

Area for improvement A10

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to show a clear rationale for the resources allocated between prevention, protection and response activities.

Area for improvement A11

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should have effective measures in place to assure itself that its wholetime workforce is productive and that its time is used as efficiently and effectively as possible to meet the priorities in the service plan.

Area for improvement A12

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that all processes in place to support performance management are effective.

Area for improvement A13

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it has effective internal governance arrangements in place to hold senior officers to account for the corporate management of the service.

Area for improvement A14

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should do more to maintain availability of its on-call crews.

Area for improvement A15

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more in this area and we are therefore keeping this area for improvement open.

Area for improvement A16

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to improve how it manages performance

Area for improvement A17

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should proactively monitor working hours (including overtime and ) ’ w x .

Area for improvement A18

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should put in place a credible succession plan, for the whole organisation.

Area for improvement A19

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should assure itself that all staff are appropriately trained for their role.

Area for improvement A20

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more to improve the way it considers its future needs and succession planning.

Area for improvement A21

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure all staff understand the benefits of equality, diversity and inclusion and their role in promoting it.

Area for improvement A22

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should make sure it improves the way it collects equality data so it can better understand its workforce demographic and needs.

Area for improvement A23

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should identify and overcome barriers to equal opportunity, so its workforce better represents its community; this includes making sure staff understand the value of positive action and having a diverse workforce.

Area for improvement A24

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more to fairly recruit a diverse range of talented staff

Area for improvement A25

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more to increase staff diversity.

Area for improvement A26

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more to retain and develop staff from under-represented groups

Area for improvement A27

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more in this area, therefore we are keeping this area for improvement open.

Area for improvement A28

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service should equip its leaders with the skills, tools and clear direction to support them to achieve the objectives set out in its service plan and manage performance of its activities.

Area for improvement A29

Status: Open

Addressed to: Avon Fire & Rescue Service

Area for improvement (HMICFRS's words)
The service needs to do more to develop its leaders to manage performance