West Midlands Fire Service
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

The Armed Forces Covenant

An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families

The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.

Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

1.1 We West Midlands Fire Service will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment

2.1 West Midlands Fire Service recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
We also pledge the following:

Promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation; through the use of our communication strategy, both internally and externally via our website and social media. We will support and promote our local regular, reserve and cadet units. Supporting their recruitment strategies and highlighting the value they bring to the community and our organisation. Seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partners deployment; through continually review of our polices and staffing frameworks. Seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the reserve forces. We will actively engage in consultation with our reservists and our local units, thus facilitating training opportunities and ensuring that polices afford them the additional flexibility to conduct their reserve role effectively. Offering additional leave to our reserves to conduct annual camp (continuous training / Operational Capability Training) and afford them the flexibility of staffing arrangements to support attendance on their non-continuous training commitments. Polices will afford reservists the flexibility to undertake personal development and seek development and learning opportunities. West Midlands Fire Service recognises the benefit these skills bring to our organisation. Offering support to our local cadet units, both within our local community station areas and through collaboration between the Young Firefighters Association, where possible. Aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day; Remembrance parades and other events that show our support and appreciation for the work the Armed Forces do

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.