The man who led an inquiry exposing sexism and racism in the London Fire Brigade has called for the creation of a confidential helpline as he warned the problems were endemic across the country.
Nazir Afzal uncovered “bullying and harassment on an industrial scale” when he led an investigation into London’s fire service.
But the solicitor says he has since been contacted by firefighters “up and down the country” reporting incidents of sexism, racism and homophobia.
Mr Afzal, who has no formal powers to investigate the new allegations, warned that staff did not feel safe reporting concerns to their own HR departments or the official watchdog, the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue.
He said that “some of them started ringing Crimestoppers because they did not know where to go”. And he called for the creation of “some kind of helpline or hotline” for firefighters to report concerns confidentially.
Mr Afzal, a former chief prosecutor in the CPS, led the London Fire Brigade inquiry following the suicide of firefighter Jaden Francois-Esprit, 21. It found the culture in some fire stations “could be extraordinarily misogynist, racist or homophobic”.
Speaking to MPs on the Home Affairs Committee, he said: “In the immediate aftermath of the review coming out, I was approached by people from up and down the country telling me to look at them. I cannot believe there is any part of the country where fire staff feel safe to speak up.”
Highlighting the behaviour he discovered in London, Mr Afzal said: “Female firefighters told us that, on occasion, when they went on fire safety visits – that is engaging with us, the public – male firefighters would go through their underwear drawers, look for sex toys, take pictures, share them on WhatsApp and brag about what they had found.”
Gay firefighters were also taunted by colleagues, he said. “When you are being beaten over the head with it every hour and every day in this watch environment, with a small number of people, where you could be for 20 or 30 years, it destroys you. People felt destroyed by it.”
Asked if he believed a new inquiry would find similar problems in other fire brigades, he said: “Yes, 100 per cent.”
The harassment in the fire service was confirmed by Andy Cooke, Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.
He told MPs: “This is not an issue of bad apples or individuals.
“This is what we have previously described as some toxic cultures that have formed across the fire service over many years.
“In the five years we have been inspecting it we have seen some improvement, but it has not been quick enough.”
