Derbyshire Fire And Rescue Service Supports Transgender Day Of Remembrance And Awareness

On Monday, November 20, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service (DFRS) recognised and celebrated equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the service by supporting the Transgender Day of remembrance.

Chief Fire Officer/ Chief Executive, Terry McDermott said: “We have a diverse community and workforce where respect and fairness are integral to our culture and values. These must be upheld in everything we do, from recruiting and developing talented employees, to engaging with volunteers, and delivering a professional service to our communities.”

Transgender Day of Remembrance and Awareness, an annual observance on 20 November that honours the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence, gives people an opportunity to raise awareness about trans issues and to reflect on progress made in this area.

Fire and Rescue Authority Chair, Kevin Buttery said: “We aim to treat everyone with dignity, including transgender and gender non-conforming people. We will therefore ensure that no service user, employee or job applicant is unfairly discriminated against on the grounds of their gender or gender identity, race, religion or belief, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, pregnancy, caring responsibilities or employment status.”

By measuring and reporting on the effectiveness of service delivery and employee policies and processes in relation to these principles, the Service aims to inform future policy, plans and enhance organisational processes.

It was estimated in 2011 that 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide. Key reasons cited were sexual assault, followed by physical assault, harassment in school, and job loss due to bias.

DFRS are working closely with local partners, including Stonewall UK, so that the Service can better actively promote trans equality in their workplace and within the communities of Derbyshire.

Moving towards trans inclusion, the Service is developing a Transgender Policy and Guidance for employees and line managers and preparing a toolkit to raise awareness about trans issues.