Support for Fire Brigades Union (FBU) brigade and regional officials

Conference notes that approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, with one in six in the UK reporting experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression in any given week. It is also well-established that poor mental health can often lead to physical ailments which only serve to compound existing problems.

Conference is aware of the stresses placed upon Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Officials of all levels in the pursuance of their daily duties, and understands that more often than not those engaged in helping others may be the most in need of help themselves.

The stresses placed on FBU Officials are at times disproportionate to the levels of support and training that is provided, and it is not surprising so many struggle to gain purchase in the face of ever increasing workloads. For the FBU to continue to function we must address the issues of health and wellbeing of Officials, the expectation placed upon Officials and the level of training provided to carry out the myriad of tasks required.

In addressing these issues Conference instructs the Executive Council to devise and conduct a simple survey of Brigade and Regional Officials to ascertain what support they require and how they feel that support should be delivered. Conference further instructs that this work is completed within the next 12 months, that a report of the findings is compiled and that regional meetings are then convened to discuss implementation.