22136 - Fire-fighters with disabilities

Ref: FOI/22136

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST  

West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information requested on 6^th December 2022. 

Please find below a summary of our findings.

Request.

How many WMFRS firefighters have disabilities?

Reply

36 Uniformed staff, 32 Non-Uniformed staff, and 3 Fire Control staff have declared that they have a disability. 

Request

How many WMFRS firefighters require reasonable adjustments?

Reply

West Midlands Fire Service does not hold the information on a centralised database and the line manager(s) responsible for each individual would hold the details of their reasonable adjustments. There is a total of 71 records that would need to be checked manually and therefore, we estimate it would take approximately 20mins to locate, retrieve and extract the information from each record which will equal 23.66hrs and therefore, will exceed the appropriate time limit allowed under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  However, if you would like to proceed with us to locate, retrieve and extract the information from each record then you will be issued a fee notice for payment.

Therefore, please let me know your decision if you wish to proceed with this request.

Please note that the fee notice must be paid in full before we release the information.  

Request

If any adjustments are made, are any adjustments made to the VO2 test and if so, what are they?

Reply

There have been zero to date.

Request

Does WMFRS offer alternatives to the Chester Treadmill Test for fitness testing and if so what are they?

Reply

Yes, Fire Ground Fitness Test, Bleep Test, and Gas analysis.

If you have any queries about this freedom of information request, please contact us.  Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.