TRIBUTE has been paid to Keighley firefighters and brigade staff across West Yorkshire following a glowing inspection report.

Government inspectors have rated West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service as 'good' overall.

The grading from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services – which continuously monitors the performance of brigades across England – covers categories of effectiveness, efficiency and people.

West Yorkshire's chief fire officer, John Roberts, welcomed the rating and said the success was down to everyone in the service – including firefighters, and departmental and control room staff.

He added: "This is a great achievement and is testament to the hard work and determination of all our staff who without fail want the best for the people of West Yorkshire, whom they serve.

"It shows we are doing what we need to do, which is keeping the people of West Yorkshire safe. This comes on the back of a previous inspection where we were also rated as good. It is great to see we have not slipped, and our aim now is of course to do even better.

"We have ambitious plans to future proof the service so we can best deliver for our residents across the five districts we cover. Our aim is to ensure we are fit for the future and this means ensuring we are getting return on investment and using the latest data and intelligence to measure how successful we are being.

"I am proud of the work that my colleagues do to support each other and communities across West Yorkshire."

The inspection team carried out a detailed examination of every aspect of the service.

Mr Roberts said action was recommended to improve on two areas in relation to effectiveness ­– it was suggested the service’s prevention teams could work better together, and the "quality and timeliness" of safe and well visits may be improved – but that it hadn't impacted on the overall judgement of 'good'.

He added: "Of course there is always room to learn and develop and we will be looking at the report in detail to address any areas of concern that have been highlighted, but the overall picture is positive.

"A project plan will be drawn up to look at improvements in these areas and we will give regular updates on the progress of the actions as we go forward."

The report can be viewed at justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/frs-assessment/frs-2021/west-yorkshire.