The Home Office developed this study following findings from HM Inspectorate of the Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) State of Fire report (HMICFRS, 2020). In the report, HMICFRS highlighted various concerns linked to the fairness of the promotion system and the staff progression pathways in fire and rescue services (FRSs) across England.

This study looks to unpick some of these issues by answering the following research questions:
Research question 1: What are the schemes and training in place to support progression and
promotion across FRSs?
Research question 2: What do recent rounds of leadership recruitment tell us about how FRSs
manage the leadership pipeline?
Research question 3: How are promotion systems perceived by staff?
Research question 4: What are staff experiences of training and schemes to support progression?
Research question 5: What are the perceived barriers to progression in FRSs among staff?