Buckinghamshire firefighters are calling for urgent action and full transparency following the recent release of a damning report in to Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS).
A report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that Buckinghamshire Fire Service was “overly reliant” on neighbouring services, was “inadequate” at protecting the public through fire regulation and that staff had leadership concerns.
BFRS receives some of the lowest funding in the country, with expenditure at £35.51 per person for the fire service compared to the average of £41.88 in England. The Fire Brigades Union points to this lack of investment and under-resourcing as responsible for the failings outlined in the report.
Last week, a tense fire authority meeting discussing the report was redacted following questions around issues of leadership within senior management of the service.
The fire authority is yet to communicate a plan of action in response to the report.
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Southern region executive council member Steve Wright said:
“Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has been officially deemed inadequate at protecting the public. This is a scandal that should concern every resident of Buckinghamshire.
“The service has been hollowed out under the watch of senior managers. Instead of standing up against a brutal regime of cuts, those at the top have been asleep at the wheel. Firefighters have had enough.
“Despite the HMICFRS report being released over a week ago, all we have seen is an absence of leadership in response. The public fire authority meeting addressing the report has been redacted.
“The state of our fire service is a matter of public and firefighter safety. We need urgent investment and action, but all we’re getting is a chaotic cover up. Firefighters won’t sit by as our service is run into the ground.”
