Fire service upgrades uniforms for comfort and community engagement

You can now expect to see staff from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) in new uniform as the change was implemented at the start of this week.

The new uniform is navy blue in colour, with a full colour GFRS badge on the front along with the Gloucestershire County Council badge on the arm. This new uniform has been implemented for a number of reasons including quality, wearability, identity and cost savings, and has been driven by results from staff feedback.

The service also had discussions with and sought feedback from its staff network groups such as Women in the Fire Service and the service improvement group – SIGMUB (Service Improvement Group Making Us Better).

The uniform has been provided by a new supplier, Hunter Apparel, that carries out regular quality and design testing of garments to ensure the highest quality. Having garments that will last, are comfortable, and withstand the vigorous role of firefighters will result in a lower rate of turn-over for uniform and reduce overall costs.

GFRS have also sourced a more diverse range of garments that are designed with GFRS staff in mind, for example, elasticated waistbands for ease of movement, breathable fabrics designed to provide additional comfort for those experiencing symptoms of the menopause, maternity wear, vegan alternative items (i.e. shoes/ belts) and religious head coverings.

Navy blue uniform is highly recognisable to members of the public as fire service personnel and the new uniform is expected to have a positive effect on community engagement, with members of staff being instantly recognisable when carrying out their duties within the communities of Gloucestershire, and during joint operations with other services and partners around the County.

Furthermore, staff survey results strongly indicated that staff felt a change in uniform, from black to navy blue and with a full colour GFRS badge would be a positive move for GFRS. Old uniform items will be returned and disposed of in a secure and environmentally friendly way with any suitable surplus stock items being repurposed or donated wherever possible.

“I am pleased to see the launch of our new uniform which will provide many benefits to our staff and communities. By ensuring that our staff have a uniform that is good quality, fit for purpose and designed specifically with the individuals’ needs in mind, we can move a step closer to achieving our vision of creating a positive workplace culture that empowers and supports our people to provide the highest standard of community safety and emergency response services to the communities of Gloucestershire.”

Mark Preece, Chief Fire Officer for GFRS.

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The industry will once again be gathering at the NEC, Birmingham for The Emergency Services Show, co located with The Emergency Tech Show on 18-19 September, check out the full exhibitor list here. You can find Hunter Apparel in Hall 5, stand H170.