Firefighters rally outside Gloucestershire council with banners against shift pattern changes

Shift changes: ‘Council must start listening'

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is forging ahead with changing wholetime firefighters shifts from 8am to 7pm instead of 9am to 6pm, despite the county council fire scrutiny panel recommending that these plans are scrapped. The council’s fire scrutiny committee published a report into the...
A firefighter holds a sign reading 'Cuts cost lives, stop fire service cuts'

Fire and rescue services in England still face government funding cuts

Fire and rescue services in England face a real term cut to central government funding, with a below inflation increase of 1.4% this year. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government publishes the amount of funding local authorities receive annually, which includes funds for fire and...
two firefighters smoke

FBU welcomes transfer of fire from Home Office to MHCLG

By Michael Chessum
Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, today made a written statement confirming that responsibility for fire will move from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It reads: “On 4 September 2024 I announced that the Government would respond in full to the Grenfell...

New Edition: (2025) National Risk Register

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Dear Brother/Sister, New Edition: (2025) National Risk Register The National Risk Register (NRR) is a very important document which impacts across the UK Fire & Rescue Service. It was first launched...

A new chapter for our union

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Dear Brother/Sister, A new chapter for our union I am deeply honoured to have been elected as your new General Secretary. I want to extend my thanks to all the members who participated in the election...

Fire and Rescue (England): Ministerial Advisory Group

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Dear Brother/Sister Fire and Rescue (England): Ministerial Advisory Group The FBU has made consistent criticism of the level of localisation and fragmentation in the fire and rescue service. We have...

National Audit Office report on dangerous cladding

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Dear Brother/Sister National Audit Office report on dangerous cladding The National Audit Office published its report, Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfolio, on 4 November. The...

Storm Bert, flooding and extreme weather

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Dear Brother/Sister, Storm Bert, flooding and extreme weather The FBU is immensely proud of our members, who worked tirelessly in recent days during Storm Bert, to rescue people and serve our...
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