South Wales fire service: Bosses tolerated sexual harassment, report says

South Wales’ fire service tolerated sexual harassment and domestic abuse outside work, according to a damning review into culture there.

Allegations of sexism and abusive behaviour towards staff at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service prompted an independent probe of its culture.

The chief fire officer Huw Jakeway said he accepted the findings of the report and said he was “profoundly sorry”.

He also said he will be stepping down from his role.

The review found “serious deficiencies in the service” after surveying more than 450 staff.

It followed an ITV news report in 2022 claiming firefighters had kept their jobs despite allegations they had sexually harassed and abused women in the service.

The report found, “the existence of a sexist and misogynist culture in many places in the service”.

The report’s authors said they “heard and saw examples of inappropriate comments made to and/or about women and/or about the way they look or dress”.

In one example, a man talked about a woman in a “sexualised” way and said “I would give her one”.

Another employee said a group of senior leaders were heard saying “are you pinning the tail on that about her” which was explained as being a comment about having sex.

The employee said no one thought that was inappropriate.

“Inappropriate behaviours exist within the service from the top down,” the report also said, explaining how its power structure “allows people to use their position to control and/or bully others”.

Managers would shout at people, make “condescending comments” or make demands without any room for debate, the report’s authors said, who described it as “a form of bullying”.

The report heard “pictures of genitals” were sent to women within the service and that “inappropriate advances” were made towards women.

It found that a now retired firefighter at the service’s Cardiff central station had refused to speak to or acknowledge women.

Examples of the “objectification of women” were also found as well as “inappropriate messaging” on social media, often in circumstances of a power imbalance between managers and junior employees, or instructors and new recruits.

The report also found instances of inappropriate comments or conduct “challenging whether women were in fact fit to carry out the job”.

“We were struck by the number of cases of assault, domestic abuse, and harassment we saw,” the report’s authors said.

They found the service “is not an inclusive place to work”, with some senior female officers, becoming “hardened to sexist behaviours”.

Another problem not being adequately addressed is drug and alcohol abuse the report, attributing much of the behaviour “to intoxicated nights out”.

“I am profoundly sorry,” Mr Jakeway said in a statement. “There is no place for inappropriate behaviour within South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

“As chief fire officer, I fully accept the recommendations made in the report.

“Over the coming weeks, the service will reflect on the details in the report and determine steps to be taken to address the recommendations.

“This report, recommendations, and resulting action plan will empower the whole service to further develop a positive culture for the benefit of all employees and the communities we serve.”

Responsibility for fire and rescue services in Wales is devolved, so the Welsh government has ultimate responsibility for fire and rescue services in Wales.

The Welsh government has been asked to comment.

The Welsh Conservatives called the report “worrying reading”.

“People in south Wales deserve a fire service with a healthy culture, and so too do the fire service staff,” said the party’s spokesman on social partnership, Joel James.

“It’s now incumbent on the next chief fire officer to demonstrate that the culture will change so they can regain the confidence of staff and residents alike.”