South Yorkshire Fire told to improve response times but praised for community work in report
HMICFRS looked at 11 areas in total - rating South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue 'good' in five of them and 'adequate' in a further six.
Last updated 17th Jul 2025
Fire crews in South Yorkshire have been praised for their community work but told to improve how quickly they respond to emergencies in a new report.
Regulator His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has released the results of a recent inspection of our local fire service.
They graded the organisation in 11 areas, finding it was 'good' in five of them and 'adequate' in a further six.
Areas to improve included the gathering of information about fire risks at buildings, so fire crews know exactly what they're walking in to during an emergency.
Inspectors also noted the South Yorkshire service had a below average response time to fires of 8 minutes 25 seconds (the average is 7 minutes 42 seconds).
The organisation has been told it could review how its fire engines are deployed in order to bring down response times.
Management have also been told to review how they promote staff to make sure there's always a clear career path being offered to employees.
However South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue was praised for its work to safeguard vulnerable people and in preventing the outbreak of fires.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Michelle Skeer said:
“I am pleased with the performance of South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks, but it needs to improve in some areas to provide a consistently good service.
“We were pleased to see that the service has made progress since its previous inspection. For example, the service has modernised its fire engine fleet, and it has planned further improvements.
“It has also prioritised work on its values and culture and improved its measures to support workforce well-being.
“But the service still needs to make progress in certain areas, such as how it aligns its activity to target risks, how it quality assures prevention activity, and the training provided for staff.
“We look forward to seeing how the service continues to improve, and I will monitor its progress closely.”
The full HMICFRS report can be read here.