We are facing one of the biggest threats to firefighters’ health and safety in decades.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) have issued dangerous new policy on fighting high-rise fires, which would allow firefighters to be deployed beyond the bridgehead wearing breathing apparatus, but not under air.
The FBU successfully challenged London Fire Brigade, who planned to introduce this new policy, which was ruled as deliberately breaching health and safety law. Yet, other fire and rescue services are still intent on imposing this dangerous policy on firefighters.
No employer should deliberately breach health and safety law. This is not just a danger to firefighters’ health and safety – it’s also a threat to public safety.
Dead or injured firefighters can’t save anyone. Fire and rescue services must abandon this dangerous practice, now.
Take action
Sign the open letter to Mark Hardingham, National Fire Chiefs Council Chair
Find out more
Read the report summarising our campaign to defend firefighters' breathing apparatus safety procedures, including our main submissions to avert this disaster.
Correspondence
Letter to HSE from FBU, 27 May 2022
Letter to HSE from FBU, 31 May 2023
Reply from HSE to FBU, 6 June 2023
Reply to HSE from FBU, 18 July 2023
Watch
Find out more about the policy and why it's a threat to firefighters' and the public's safety.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and FBU national officers Tam McFarlane and Riccardo la Torre give the latest updates in the campaign, including why the FBU opposes the new procedure and the union's action nationally and locally to challenge fire services attempting to implement the dangerous policy.
