Members of the public have made discriminatory comments over female firefighters to Humberside Fire & Rescue Service during a recent consultation. The fire service’s council tax precept for 2026/27 was set earlier this month by the Humberside Fire Authority, which oversees the service, after a public consultation that saw over 1,500 responses.
Most responses favoured a precept increase, and this source of revenue is to become even more important to the fire service, as Government grant cash falls. But contained within the report on the precept consultation is detail about discriminatory comments made against women, questioning the competence of female firefighters.
“A small but notable cluster of comments express discriminatory views about women in the fire service,” the consultation report states. These included incorrect claims that female firefighters are inherently less capable, a risk to the public, and appointed for diversity reasons rather than competence.
A Humberside Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said the comments made were concerning, and discriminatory attitudes had no place in its organisation, nor the communities it serves. The precept consultation report states of the misogynistic feedback: “These comments go beyond scepticism about recruitment standards and enter the territory of gender‑based prejudice, suggesting that women are intrinsically unfit for operational roles regardless of training, assessment, or evidence.”
It is the first time such misogynistic sentiments have appeared in a Humberside Fire & Rescue Service precept consultation. The fire service spokesperson told the LDRS: “A small number of responses to our recent consultation on the portion of council tax received by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service included discriminatory comments about women in operational roles, alongside some emotionally charged or politically framed views relating to public spending and leadership.
“Although these remarks came from a small minority and do not reflect the wider feedback, they are concerning and important to acknowledge to the Fire Authority. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service is committed to the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Core Code of Ethics, which require us to promote fairness, dignity and respect for all.
“Discriminatory attitudes have no place in our organisation or in the communities we serve. We remain committed to creating an inclusive and professional service where everyone, staff and public alike, are treated with respect.
“We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their views. All feedback, both supportive and challenging, helps inform our decision making and strengthens our commitment to serving our communities with integrity and transparency.”
About one in five of all Humberside Fire & Rescue Service staff are women, based on the its 2024/25 annual performance report. The majority of employed women are non-operational staff.
However, in 2024/25, there were 79 women working at the fire service either at the service’s Control room, in an on-call capacity, or full-time firefighters. Of the 458 firefighters on full-time duty system contracts, at least 43 were women.
The precept consultation report states there was “a notable change in tone” with an increase in “emotionally charged or politically framed comments”. This included comments expressing distrust over public spending, senior leadership structures and perceived ‘non-core’ activities.
Overall, it states the “vast majority” of comments concerned affordability, cost of living pressures and organisational efficiency concerns.
By: Ivan Morris Poxton, LDRS
