The Fire Brigades Union has committed to fighting for fire control staff to be recognised as a part of operational response, after they were denied a government Platinum Jubilee medal, intended for all operational emergency service workers. The commitment came in the form of a motion passed at the union’s annual conference last week, on Friday.
The Platinum Jubilee medal was denied to firefighter control staff by the Home Office, who were responsible for administering it with regards to the fire and rescue service. They argued that firefighter control staff were not operational, using a definition that relied on physical attendance and danger, and so the union believes is too narrow. Furthermore, in any case, firefighter control staff face danger due to the mental health effects of their role.
Lynda Rowan O’Neill, Fire Brigades Union control staff national committee secretary said:
“I find it appalling that fire control staff are not considered “operational” by the government. I invite any government minister to spend a day talking to someone inside burning buildings and making split-second decisions on which fire and rescue resources need to go where, and come back and tell us it’s not operational work. The absolute least the government could do is properly recognise our role.”
In remarks in the conference hall Donna Donachie, FBU control representative for Scotland, said [abridged]:
“Every time we provide fire survival guidance to protect those trapped we potentially expose ourselves to stress, danger and mental health risks. Often a firefighter control member will hear the last breath a person takes, or hear the last words they speak.”
Fire control staff answer calls from the public to the fire and rescue service, and relay information and advice to responders. They identify the exact location of the incident and talk to often very distressed members of the public who are involved in incidents, giving them safety advice and reassurance. They also determine what resource to mobilise to the incident, provide additional resources if the situation develops and organise relief crews for fire and rescue crews if the incident is protracted. Fire control manages the incident from the receipt of the initial call until fire crews have returned to station.
Mark Rowe, Fire Brigades Union national officer said:
“The Fire Brigades Union will fight for control staff to be recognised as the operational workers they are. Not doing so exposes the government’s lack of care or knowledge for people they employ or the work they do. It is shocking but unsurprising.”
At the union’s annual conference the union passed a motion stating that “Emergency Fire Control Staff (firefighters Control) are a vital part of Fire & Rescue Services’ operational response” and that “the United Kingdom Government Home Office do not share the same view, something which was clearly demonstrated by the omission of Emergency Fire Control Staff from the eligibility criteria for receipt of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal”. It committed the union to taking action to ensure that the role of control staff is properly acknowledged by government and employers.
Fire Brigades Union conference took place in Brighton, from 10-13 May, and was the first in-person conference since the pandemic.
You can read the motion in full here:
43. RECOGNITION OF THE ROLE OF EMERGENCY FIRE CONTROL STAFF
Conference recognises that Emergency Fire Control Staff (firefighters Control) are a vital part of Fire & Rescue Services operational response.
Conference is appalled that the United Kingdom Government Home Office do not share the same view, something which was clearly demonstrated by the omission of Emergency Fire Control Staff from the eligibility criteria for receipt of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Conference calls for the Executive Council to take immediate action to ensure that the role of Emergency Fire Control Staff is acknowledged as ‘Operational’ by Government and Employers.
Progress regarding this work should be reported back no later than Conference 2023.
CONTROL STAFF NATIONAL COMMITTEE
