The trade union representing firefighters has said that the UK is “dangerously underprepared” for responding to fires, floods and extreme weather events, and has called on Keir Starmer to rapidly invest in the fire and rescue service when he enters Number 10.
The Fire Brigades Union has warned that responses to national emergencies and major incidents including wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding have been impeded by a lack of resilience over the past two years.
The Firefighters’ Manifesto sets out the FBU’s vision for the future of the fire service. It advocates investment to address a crisis caused by a lack of resources, deregulation and cuts. Firefighters are calling on all parliamentary candidates to pledge their support for the manifesto.
Across the UK, 1 in 5 firefighter jobs have been cut since 2010. 82 fire stations and 17 control rooms have been closed down.
Fire and rescue services frequently fail to meet their own targets for fire cover. The average response time for fire brigades to arrive at the scene has risen to a record nine minutes and 12 seconds across England. This is an increase of more than a minute across the last 10 years.
Several fire and rescue services across the UK have adopted a new policy of sending firefighters out in crews of three instead of the minimum of five firefighters needed to respond to incidents where lives are at risk. They are forced to wait for additional crews to arrive before tackling a serious incident, wasting crucial time needed to save lives.
On 19 July 2022, as temperatures soared, the London Fire Brigade had its busiest day since the Second World War and ran out of fire engines to respond to incidents. But 39 fire engines sad idle in fire stations because there were not enough firefighters to crew them.
In the wake of flooding caused by Storm Babet in October 2023, a record 72 calls went unanswered or were deferred in Northamptonshire alone as resources ran out.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said:
When Keir Starmer enters 10 Downing Street, the crisis in the fire and rescue service will be one of the most important things in his in-tray.
The UK is dangerously underprepared and under-resourced when it comes to keeping communities safe from fires, floods and other disasters. To turn things around, we will need significant investment.
Under the Tories, 1 in 5 firefighter jobs have been cut, as has 30% of central government funding. This has led to the worst response times in history, and a hollowing out of national resilience.
Firefighters are regularly pushed beyond safe limits. Every day, public safety is put at risk because of a lack of resourcing.
The incoming government must face the emergency.”
