Fire and Rescue Service Matters

Fire and rescue services face another year of cuts, despite the incredible work done by firefighters throughout the pandemic. On 4 February the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed its final local government finance settlement for 2021-22. Central funding was increased by...

On 22 January the fire inspectorate in England launched an unwarranted attack on firefighters, criticising our efforts to support communities and the NHS through the pandemic, as well as carry out regular duties, while following safety advice. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and...

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is exposing a disturbing disregard for fire safety in the construction industry that the Fire Brigades Union believes politicians need to act on. Phase 2 of the Inquiry began in January this year, but was mired with disruptions. Firstly, it was suspended for some weeks...

The Fire Brigades Union is calling on the Chancellor to prioritise investment in the fire and rescue service in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which will set departmental budgets for the next three years. The risks exposed by the pandemic have starkly highlighted the need for...

There are too few firefighters to guarantee resilience after a decade of austerity, according to new figures obtained by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). One-in-five firefighter jobs (20%) across the UK have been cut since 2010. This has had a huge impact on the resilience of the fire and rescue...

In January this year, the chief fire inspector in England, Sir Tom Winsor, launched a politically motivated attack on the existing collective arrangements governing firefighters' pay and conditions across the UK. Winsor used his fire State of Fire report to blame all the problems of the fire and...

Firefighters have responded magnificently to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepping up during this time of national emergency. But the positive work done by crews should not hide the lack of preparedness nor the need to prepare for further waves of this terrible virus. The fire and rescue service response...

Firefighters are playing an important role in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, but need the resources, equipment and protection to do their job during this difficult time. The union wants politicians to intervene to ensure firefighters can carry out their duties safely. Operational wholetime (full...

The Finance Act 2017 contained provisions that are now due to be implemented in April 2020. This will introduce detrimental changes to the way that operational officers employer by fire and rescue services will be taxed when using a vehicle that is contractual for on-call, managerial and operational...

Sir Thomas Winsor, HM Chief Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, published his first annual report on fire and resue services in England in January 2020. He makes an unwarranted attack on firefighters' pay and conditions, blaming the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for problems caused by central...