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Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service has been moved into an enhanced level of monitoring by the fire inspectorate.

Get the letter : Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service: move to enhanced phase of monitoring

Get the report : Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2025–2027: Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) continuously monitors the performance of all fire and rescue services in England.

The monitoring process consists of two stages: Scan and Engage. All fire and rescue services are in routine monitoring under the Scan stage by default, but may be escalated to enhanced monitoring under the Engage stage if they are not effectively addressing the inspectorate’s concerns.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Michelle Skeer, has decided to move the service into Engage because it hasn’t done enough to improve:

• how it gathers and records site-specific risk information;
• communication with its staff;
• its system for recording staff competency, training and skills;
• equality, diversity and inclusion; and
• its strategic direction with consistent and confident leadership, and effective accountability.

This comes as HMICFRS has also published Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s latest inspection report. HMICFRS has graded Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s performance across 10 areas and found the service was inadequate in five areas, requires improvement in three areas, adequate in one area and good in one area.

HMICFRS found that the service needs to improve its standards for response, values and culture, training and skills, and equality and diversity. In April 2026, the inspectorate published an accelerated cause of concern after finding that the service doesn’t effectively gather or record site-specific risk information. Inspectors have now also issued four further causes of concern.

The service still has work to do to improve the culture of the organisation, including addressing some unacceptable behaviours such as the use of inappropriate language. It also needs to make sure it is appropriately recording operational competencies so that it is confident all staff are meeting the expected standard. The inspectorate also found that the service’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion had deteriorated since its last inspection.

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services Michelle Skeer OBE QPM said:

“I have concerns about the performance of Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service in keeping people safe and secure from fire and other risks. As a result, and after careful consideration, I have decided to place the service into our enhanced monitoring process, Engage.

“There are several areas in which the service needs to improve. For example, the service needs to improve how it records and monitors competencies across the organisation. The service’s inconsistent approach to collecting this information means it can’t be sure that all staff are meeting the expected standard.

“The service needs to start making immediate improvements and prepare an action plan to address my concerns. I will be monitoring the performance of the service closely over the coming months and revisiting to review its progress.”

Get the letter : Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service: move to enhanced phase of monitoring

Get the report : Effectiveness, efficiency and people 2025–2027: Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service

Notes

• For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
• This inspection contains our assessment of the service’s effectiveness and efficiency, and how well it looks after its people. We have measured the service against 10 areas and given a grade for each.
• Read more information about the 2025–27 assessment framework for fire and rescue service inspections.
• Read more information about the HMICFRS monitoring process.