Cambridgeshire Fire And Rescue Service
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 Cambridgeshire Fire And Rescue 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 Cambridgeshire Fire And Rescue 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 Reservists
- Armed Forces Day
We also pledge the following:
Providing all staff with access to Armed Forces Covenant & Community Training Regularly reviewing and improving digital and hardcopy Armed Forces Covenant support information Promoting the Armed Forces Covenant and online training modules to all partners Engaging with and supporting internal staff from the Armed Forces Community by creating an information hub on internal systems Supporting Armed Forces Day, Remembrance, and other Civic Events Working through Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to provide best support for Armed Forces Community potential employees and current staff Ensuring that all staff are considering the Armed Forces Community when dealing with the public Supporting collaborative action by attending the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board Linking with and support local Armed Forces Community support groups Ensuring all officers know about and have access to the Forces Connect App Providing publicly visible support for the Armed Forces Community and Covenant through the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service website Encouraging all veteran staff to wear their veteran’s badge Providing publicly visible support for the Armed Forces Community and Covenant at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service stations/buildings Providing employment opportunities to the Armed Forces Community on the Career Transition Partnership and Forces Family Jobs websites
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.