Government HM Inspectorate warned WMFS to sort chaos out weeks before public meltdown
West Midlands Fire Service and Authority were warned about concerns over leadership by the Government before the last ten days of public rancour and chaos.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services Andy Cooke QPM wrote to authority chairman Councillor Greg Brockenbridge and interim chief executive Oliver Lee on October 4 due to his "significant concern" about the direction of the service.
The letter, which was published online on Friday, was penned before Lee and other senior firefighters expressed no confidence in the authority and an investigation was launched into Lee's conduct and a High Court Action to stop his attacks on his superiors.
The battle between Lee, a former Royal Marine who fought in Afghanistan, and Councillor Brackenridge, husband of Wolverhampton North East MP Suritta Brackenridge, descended into chaos as they posted comments online.
After the story became national news and Walsall Council Tory leader Councillor Gary Perry called for his resignation, Councillor Brackenridge, who denies any wrongdoing, stepped down over the weekend.
Mr Cooke scolded the pair: "I am writing to you both to express my significant concern about the leadership and governance of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS); most particularly an apparent breakdown in the relationship between senior members of the service and the fire and rescue authority (FRA).
"This appears to have escalated over recent days, leading to three principal officers of the service taking the highly unusual and very significant step of signing a letter of no-confidence in the Authority.
"I am concerned that the current situation will affect public confidence in the service and the FRA, impact the workforce of WMFS, and has the potential to jeopardise a safety critical service for the residents of the West Midlands."
WMFS was due a routine inspection from HM Inspectorate at the end of this month but Mr Cooke wants to broaden the remit and has asked the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper for extra powers.
He said: "As you will both be aware, HMICFRS will commence our next inspection of WMFS on 28 October. The fieldwork phase of the inspection will commence on 18 November. Given the significant concerns I have about the relationship between a number of principal officers of the service and the FRA, and the potential impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the service to the public I am considering broadening that work.
"I will be consulting the Home Secretary on the potential for her to commission me under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, or for me to self-commission a further inspection into the effectiveness of the governance of the service by the FRA, and the relationships between senior personnel.
"Any such inspection is likely to run in parallel with our current work and would of course avoid those matters excluded under S28(A7) of the same Act."
The letter was also sent to the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention, the Chair of the NFCC, the Chair of the Fire Services Management Committee at the Local Government Association, and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman."
