The Fire Committee met on Tuesday 13 January 2026 to discuss the wellbeing of London's firefighters and review the London Fire Commissioner's draft financial and assurance documents. Key decisions included noting the financial challenges facing the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and calling on the Mayor to outline his support for the LFB given its depleted reserves. The Committee also sought further assurances on the LFB's progress towards targets outlined in its Community Risk Management Plan, particularly regarding staff sickness and workforce diversity.

Wellbeing of London's Firefighters

The Committee heard from experts and LFB representatives about the significant mental health challenges faced by firefighters. Professor Rowena Hill of Nottingham Trent University noted that while firefighters experience trauma, the perceived increase in mental health issues might also be linked to societal factors and a greater willingness to report issues. Dr Carolina Campo-Donico from the University of Lancashire highlighted that over half of firefighters surveyed reported experiencing mental health consequences from trauma, with a significant portion experiencing sleep disturbances and burnout. The discussion also touched upon moral injury, where firefighters' values are compromised by organisational demands or situations, and the potential impact of secondary employment on wellbeing.

Professor Hill and Dr Jo Yarker of the London Centre for Work and Health discussed the evolving nature of stressors for firefighters, noting that fewer calls now relate to fires, with a greater proportion involving rescues, road traffic collisions, and mental health incidents. They highlighted a disconnect between the intention of wellbeing policies and the lived experience of firefighters, particularly concerning perceived organisational support, bullying, and harassment.

The panel also explored the concept of moral injury, with Dr Danielle Lamb of the London Centre for Work and Health explaining its three aspects: commission (doing something wrong), omission (failing to prevent harm), and betrayal (feeling let down by superiors or institutions). This was considered particularly relevant to firefighters, potentially mirroring patterns seen in the military.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the importance of peer support, leadership, and organisational culture. Experts stressed that while peer support is a strength, it needs to be formally recognised, trained, and supervised. There was a consensus that good leadership and management, characterised by active listening and empathy, are crucial. The challenges of drawing clear lines between banter and bullying within the close-knit environment of fire stations were also discussed, with an acknowledgement that age alone does not determine behaviour, but rather workplace dynamics and role modelling.

The economic impact of firefighters being off sick was raised, with the understanding that preventative mental health support can yield significant returns. Dean Corney, a firefighter and founder of Walk and Talk 999, shared his personal experience and the success of his initiative in providing a safe space for emergency service personnel to talk. He emphasised the importance of accessible, non-clinical support and the need for variety in interventions beyond traditional counselling.

The LFB's Deputy Commissioner, Spencer Sutcliffe, stated that the Brigade's stress, anxiety, and depression sickness rate has remained stable at around 2%, and that the Brigade has a comprehensive wellbeing offer. However, he acknowledged that mental health reporting has increased due to reduced stigma. Dr Adrian Bevan, Assistant Director of Health and Safety at the LFB, identified risk factors such as traumatic events, shift work, secondary employment, and sleep deprivation.

The discussion also covered suicide prevention, with experts stressing the importance of a holistic approach that addresses occupational stressors and provides accessible, confidential support. The role of immediate teams and line managers in identifying distress early was highlighted, as was the need for confidentiality to encourage reporting.

London Fire Brigade National Framework Documents

The Committee reviewed the London Fire Commissioner's draft Reserves Strategy and Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2026/27, and the draft Statement of Assurance for 2024/25.

Reserves Strategy and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2026/27: The Committee noted the financial challenges facing the LFB, including a projected budget gap of £12.2 million in 2026/27. A key concern highlighted was the depletion of the Fire Safety Improvement Reserve, which had previously funded the Modern Firefighter Training Programme. The Committee expressed worry that the LFB would be operating without a budget flexibility reserve for the next two years, and that the General Fund Reserve was below minimum target levels, leaving the Brigade with limited financial resilience. The Committee called on the Mayor to outline how he would support the LFB given these depleted reserves.

Statement of Assurance 2024/25: The Committee acknowledged the Statement of Assurance document. However, they sought further assurances on the LFB's progress towards achieving all targets within the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP). Specifically, the Committee sought assurances that measures to improve staff sickness rates would bring rates within target for 2025/26. They also reiterated concerns regarding the Brigade's efforts to recruit a more diverse workforce, particularly in light of potential reviews to staff composition targets. The Committee noted the relevance of these points to the Brigade's work towards HMICFRS recommendations, including improving equal opportunity. Further assurance was sought on how the Brigade would monitor and make improvements ahead of the next HMICFRS inspection, especially in areas previously rated as adequate or requiring improvement.

The Committee agreed to delegate authority to the Chair, in consultation with party Group Lead Members, to agree any output arising from the discussion.

Fire Committee Work Programme

The Committee noted its work programme for 2025-2026, with the next meeting scheduled for 17 March 2026.