The head of London Fire Brigade (LFB) said complaints will be handled externally from Monday after an official report published on Saturday said the brigade is “institutionally misogynist and racist.”
The Independent Culture Review, commissioned by London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe following the suicide of 21-year-old trainee firefighter Jaden Matthew Francois-Esprit in 2020, was led by former Chief Crown Prosecutor Nazir Afzal.
In conclusion, Afzal said that his 10-month review found “dangerous levels of ingrained prejudice against women and the barriers faced by people of colour spoke for themselves,” and that the LFB is “institutionally misogynist and racist.”
But he also stressed that his team didn’t find “the same level of operational bigotry” as were found in the Metropolitan Police, where there had been flagrant examples of police officers misusing power and allowing prejudice to shape their actions.”…