Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service signs the Armed Forces Covenant

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has reaffirmed its commitment to all veterans, reservists, and their families by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel was joined by Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester Paul Dennett, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Carl Austin-Behan and Colonel Darren Doherty on 21 April to officially sign the Covenant.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy, and society they serve with their lives.

Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said: ‘Signing the Armed Forces Covenant demonstrates the Service’s support for veterans, reservists, and their families.

‘We have a significant number of current and former members of the armed forces working at GMFRS and we feel keenly that we have a responsibility to those who have given so much for this country.

‘Signing the Covenant shows our commitment to them, and we will continue to drive practical action to make sure GMFRS is a forces friendly employer.’

Alongside signing the Covenant, the Service officially launched the Armed Forces Network, an internal staff support network for all colleagues currently serving as a reservist, military veterans, and forces family members.

Watch Manager Jayne Jeffery, Tactical Lead for the GMFRS Armed Forces Network said: ‘I am proud that we have signed the Armed Forces Covenant as well as launched our Armed Forces Network. We have a large armed forces family at GMFRS, and I want us to be the best possible place to work if you have served.

‘We will continue to make progress against the Armed Forces Covenant and work with partners and other fire and rescue services to look at how we can all make a difference for the armed forces community.’

In national recognition of GMFRS’s commitment to the armed forces community, the Service has previously been awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award.

The Award is given to employers who support and employ reservists, armed forces veterans, cadet instructors, and military spouses or partners and aligns their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

Signing the Armed Forces Covenant puts GMFRS on a clear path to receiving the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award in the near future.

The signing of the Covenant builds on the work being done across Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) to make Greater Manchester the first city-region in the UK that has one approach to delivering the Armed Forces Covenant.

Greater Manchester wants to become a centre of excellence for research into the Armed Forces community and for piloting new ideas and fresh approaches and make the city-region the place of choice for families and individuals transitioning out of military service.