Aerial appliances

Conference notes the vital role of aerial appliances in fire and rescue operations across UK Fire and Rescue Services. These appliances are indispensable across a wide range of tasks and provide firefighters with effective firefighting and rescue capabilities which mitigate damage and save lives. Conference believes that these appliances must be primary crewed in order to ensure rapid deployment and a guaranteed attendance at incidents.

Conference believes it is a disgrace that so many of these appliances have seen crewing levels cut due to politically driven budget cuts caused by the Government’s austerity programme. Conference applauds Fire Brigades Union Brigade Committees who have fought such cuts but recognises that centrally driven budget cuts by Government require a national campaign of defence. Conference therefore demands that the Executive Council launch a national campaign which highlights the vital role of aerial appliances within the UK Fire and Rescue Services and the necessity for such appliances to be primary crewed. Conference demands that this campaign has as its aim the provision of additional finance from Government to Fire and Rescue Services to provide for primary crewing of aerial appliances, and the establishment of emergency response/attendance time standards for aerial appliances.