By Amy Addison-Dunne
October 22 2019, 17.55
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The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has kicked off a recruitment drive encouraging women and BAME people to sign up.
LFB’s southwest area commander Lee Drawbridge (pictured above) announced that he was looking for new female and BAME recruits to the new London Fire Cadet scheme so the brigade reflects the diverse nature of London.
Fire Cadet units have been set up around London with the support of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has allocated funding to set up Fire Cadets in every borough.
Mr Drawbridge said: “The LFB will soon have a cadet scheme in every London borough. Our free, nationally recognised cadet programme is a great way for young people to have fun, make friends, gain a qualification and develop their skills and confidence.
“We are very proud of our London Fire Cadets who represent the future of the LFB.”
He added: “Currently we run about 19 cadet schemes. The cadets are the future of the London Fire Brigade.
“When you look at the diversity in the cadets, they are nearly 50 percent women and 50 percent BAME, which is where we want the London Fire Brigade to be in the future, so we are relevant to our communities and have a better understanding of the culture of that community.”
The cadet scheme is for youths between the ages of 14-17.
LFB is the only fire service in the country which is staffed full time.
LFB faced cuts of up to £10 million under previous Mayor Boris Johnson’s tenure. 500 jobs were cut, 10 fire stations were closed and 27 engines were taken off the roads.
