Kent Fire and Rescue Service Breaks New Ground with Customer Service Award
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has made history as the first fire and rescue service to achieve the prestigious ServiceMark accreditation. This national standard recognises organisations for outstanding customer service excellence—and KFRS has smashed it.
Flipping the Script on Customer Care
The ServiceMark assessment praised KFRS for “turning customer culture completely on its head in the most positive way.” From first responders and volunteers to education specialists, every team focuses on the full customer journey.
They don’t just respond to emergencies; they look for ways to support people beyond incidents and prevent emergencies before they happen. The report highlights KFRS’s “commitment to delivering great service” with passion and drive to “build a safer, more inclusive, and engaged world.”
Passion and Professionalism Shine Through
“All those I met were friendly, professional and very open in their approach. The passion for helping people and looking after each other came through in every conversation,” said the Independent Customer Service (ICS) assessor.
“Caring about customers is at the heart of what draws people to join Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Employees really put themselves in customers’ shoes and go above and beyond to ensure positive outcomes and a good experience—they genuinely care.”
KFRS earned the ServiceMark thanks to glowing colleague feedback combined with record-breaking customer survey results from earlier this year.
Leaders Praise Hard Work and Future Ambitions
Ann Millington, Chief Executive of KFRS, said: “I am immensely proud of our ServiceMark accreditation. We have shifted our culture wholeheartedly towards putting customers first. This is down to the hard work of all my colleagues. But we’re not resting—we will keep improving.”
She added, “Some question the word ‘customer’ for the people we serve. But we’re much more than emergency responders. We interact daily in homes, workplaces, schools, and online to prevent emergencies before they start. Everyone deserves to be treated as a valued customer.”
Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, congratulated KFRS: “By using customer feedback through ServiceMark, KFRS is stronger placed than ever to give customers what they want, when and how they want it.”
