Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service signs the Armed Forces Covenant

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service (BFRS) has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which is our organisation’s promise to provide active support to the Armed Forces community.

It acknowledges that we recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families can bring to BFRS.

We will, through our business dealings, work to ensure they are treated with fairness and respect within both the local community and wider society, and help remove any disadvantages they may encounter in their day-to-day lives.

By signing the covenant, Chief Fire Officer Jason Thelwell QFSM has pledged that BFRS will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, where we can, by:

• Promoting the fact that we are an Armed Forces friendly organisation.
• Supporting the employment of veterans of any age, and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) on establishing a tailored employment pathway for service leavers.
• Supporting the employment of Armed Forces spouses and partners, and advertising job opportunities through armed forces friendly recruitment agencies and charities.
• Recognising relevant military qualifications in our recruitment/application processes.
• Offering a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Armed Forces spouses and partners.
• Supporting our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, by accommodating their training and deployment where possible.
• Offering support where possible to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, and encouraging our employees to be cadet helpers or instructors.
• Actively promoting and when possible participating in Armed Forces Day.

CFO Thelwell said: “Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has always endeavoured to support those who have served, those who are currently serving, and all those connected with the Armed Forces. We strongly believe the experience they have gained provides key transferable knowledge, skills and disciplines that can be of huge value to us and the Service.

“The Armed Forces Covenant formally recognises our commitment to supporting both the physical and mental well-being of this often-unrecognised part of our community. I am proud that we will now be able to display its logo, alongside our own, to help others recognise us as an ally.

“Signing it brings an exciting new dimension to our focus on our people, our aim to make this organisation an employer of choice, and our work towards delivering our vision for the people of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.”

Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE, Chairman of Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority, said: “I am tremendously proud that we have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and will be looking forward to hearing about how the pledge we have made, has provided support to the Armed Forces and their families.”

Pictured left to right above at the signing ceremony are: Warrant Officer Emma Kerslake, Station Warrant Officer, RAF High Wycombe; Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE, Chairman, Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority; Standard Bearer Dickie Heybourn; Group Captain Phil Arnold, Station Commander, RAF High Wycombe; Standard Bearer Chris Cook; Jason Thelwell QFSM, Chief Fire Officer, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.