PM pays tribute to firefighters for flood response
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in a visit to Blue Watch at West Hull Fire Station, hears firefighters’ concerns about PPE and the Service’s preparedness for extreme flooding conditions, and agrees lessons must be learned
Prime minister Gordon Brown visited Blue Watch at West Hull Fire Station on Saturday 7 July. He was accompanied by Minister John Healey, MP John Prescott and fellow MP Diana Johnson.
The watch were told that Gordon Brown and the local MPs wanted to meet and personally thank firefighters for their efforts during the recent flooding incidents.
Following the introductions, the firefighters explained to the prime minister how the personal protective equipment (PPE) that frontline firefighters are provided with are not suitable for extreme flooding conditions.
Firefighter Liam Plunkett said that he thought that fire and rescue services in general were not prepared for the scale of the flooding incidents that they are now attending more regularly.
Dedication and professionalism of FRS staff saved lives
Blue Watch member and FBU Humberside brigade chair Ian Murray informed the PM it was only through the dedication of the staff of the fire and rescue service, from the control members (who in Humberside took over 2,500 calls in a 24 hour period), the support staff behind the scenes, and of course those who actually attended the incidents that more lives were not lost.
It was through their professionalism in horrendous conditions that so many rescues were carried out, he told Gordon Brown. Crews worked continuously for over 18 hours at a time often up to the waist in flood water carrying elderly residents to places of safety, the PM heard.
Gordon Brown supported by John Prescott, the other MPs and council leaders recognised this and paid tribute to all members of the fire and rescue service for their dedication and the outstanding service they provided to the communities in their hour of need.
Ministers take note of Hull firefighters’ views
Minister John Healey, who has a remit for an overview on Fire and Rescue as well as for resilience and response to the recent floods, and MP Diana Johnson took some extra time out with Blue Watch to make some notes on their views and stated that they would be taking them forward into the appropriate arenas to try to progress them.
Says Ian Murray: “All parties agreed that we must all learn from the recent extreme flooding events and that we must all work together, fire and rescue services, the FBU, the environment agency and CFOA. We must all ensure that the valuable lessons learned will be put to good use for the next time (and to be sure, there will be a next time). This includes appropriate PPE and improved equipment.”
Avon fire authority “remains unconvinced” at RCC proposals
Members of Avon Fire Authority (AFA) have decided to reaffirm their stance to boycott plans for a regional fire control centre (RCC) after being presented with the latest version of the FireControl business case.
Councillors, attending a fire authority meeting on Friday, noted with concern that the latest business case projected savings of moving to regional control of just 10% - significantly less than the 30% quoted in earlier drafts – and expressed fears that rather than providing savings, it would actually cost them money.
In a letter from the former Fire Minister Angela Smith MP, fire authority members had been asked to reconsider their position in light of the information contained in the latest business case.
“Extremely concerned”
But Councillor Terry Walker, Chair of Avon Fire Authority, said: “After fully considering the latest version of the business case, the authority remains unconvinced that this move represents best value.
We are extremely concerned at the significant reduction in the potential savings and, as the project progresses, believe we may see no savings at all from the merger - and possibly face increased costs.”
Participation in Local Authority Controlled Company rejected
Kevin Pearson, Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive of Avon Fire & Rescue Service, added:
“Today, Members have reaffirmed their position to refuse to participate in the establishment of a Local Authority Controlled Company, which will own and govern the new centre.
“They will, however, review this position once the final full business case has been published, which is expected in early 2008.”
The “final full business case” has been long delayed. The Government describes the business case as a “living document”. For more information click here
Skills for Life - Whole Organisation Approach document consultation
The Union is seeking the views from the FRS community on its draft strategy document ‘Skills for Life, A Whole Organisation Approach for the Fire Brigades Union and the UK Fire and Rescue Service’. The document was launched at the Fire Service College on Thursday 28 June 2007.
The document is the product of the collaborative work that has taken place within the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Learning Fund Projects as endorsed in the National FRS Learning & Development Strategy and the Scottish FRS Learning & Development Strategy (revised).
The challenging strategy seeks to acknowledge Skills for Life as underpinning all learning, training and development aspects for individuals in the workplace and social lives.
The period of consultation will end at 5pm on Wednesday 26 September. Responses should be sent to Dean Mills at Head Office, or email to sfl@fbu.org.uk
You can download the document at: http://ulf.fbu.org.uk/publications/
Airwave contract criticised
A week after the terrorist bomb attempts on London and Glasgow airport and on the second anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, a study is expected to question the efficiency of the £3bn Airwave communication system commissioned by the Home Office, which should allow all the different emergency services to communicate with each other, reports The Guardian.
The system has been controversial because its implementation has been delayed. Communication was identified as a key failing during the reaction to the 7/7 attacks, when terrorists killed 52 people in London. The emergency services lost radio contact with each other underground and doctors were unsure which hospitals to send casualties to.
But research by the London assembly's 7/7 review committee suggests the system is erratic in certain buildings because of metal in the infrastructure. Researchers have been told that the radios won't even work in some police stations and in some retail outlets. The fault is said to raise questions about their effectiveness underground, where deficiencies in communication between the emergency services called to the 7/7 atrocities were most extreme.
The report also highlights problems of communicating above ground. The system divides London into four zones, but it is claimed that there is sporadic difficulty maintaining the signal for those who pass between them.
Richard Barnes, who chaired the committee and led the subsequent monitoring exercise, said: "These are inherent problems that should have been identified from the beginning. The contract was rushed in 2002 to meet the needs of the Commonwealth Games. Five years later the world has changed in terms of police officers numbers and security issues but there is no flexibility on the contract to accommodate that."
Mr Barnes, who sits on the Metropolitan Police Authority, said the criticisms were not directed at the Airwave company but at those who drew up and have managed the contract.
He said the research suggested army-style "personal role" radios could be used by police and the other emergency services while underground problems with Airwave are ironed out. But he said the idea had limited support from the police and Transport for London.
The government's own review, Lesson Learned, conceded that emergency services in London were unlikely to be fully equipped with Airwave until 2009 and that roll-out to the rest of the UK was likely to take even longer. www.guardian.co.uk
New Fire Minister
The minister with responsibility for fire and rescue is Parmjit Dhanda, Labour MP for Gloucester and formerly Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Education and Skills. He was assistant national organiser with Connect trade union in 1998.
John Healey, minister of state in the Department of Communities and Local Government, also has a remit for an overview on Fire and Rescue as well as for resilience and response to the recent floods. Labour MP for Wentworth, he was formerly Financial Secretary in the Treasury and one-time head of communications at the MSF union.
Scotland’s first minister praises fire service on terror response
Scotland’s new first minister has praised the role of the fire and rescue service in responding to the terror attack on Glasgow airport.
Alex Salmond said that one of the key messages that came out of meetings of the Scottish Executive Emergency Room (SEER), which was established immediately after the attack and is chaired by Mr Salmond or the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, was that “our emergency services and airport staff rose to the occasion magnificently… Particular praise must go to our fire services for controlling the flames before much more extensive damage was done.”
Fairness at Work: new policy document issued
All members should have now received - in the same envelope as their July 2007 Firefighter magazine – a new policy document from the FBU on fairness at work.
All Different All Equal outlines the structures and policies that the union has put in place to try and ensure that every section of our membership has its voice heard and its concerns addressed.
It tells members who they should contact and what they should do if they do not feel that they are being treated fairly. It explains how the union will deal with the contentious issue of one member complaining about another member or members not treating them fairly.
It should not, however, be regarded as a policy that is negative and which only deals with problems. It is a positive policy and one of which we should all be proud.
It is about our union’s commitment to a fire service where all of its members have an equal chance of being employed or promoted, regardless of their age, sex, race, disability, religious belief or sexual orientation.
Dignity and respect
The document is about our commitment to workplaces where all members are treated with dignity and respect and are not frightened to come to work because of bullying or harassment.
If you have not received a copy of the document contact John McGhee at FBU Head Office.
Questionnaire of fire service work experiences: deadline is extended
The deadline for responses to a questionnaire on workplace experiences in fire and rescue services sent out to all women firefighters and a random selection of male firefighters has been extended from 12 July to 27 July.
The Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) has commissioned ICM, an independent research company, to undertake the research to investigate their workplace experiences to “support the Service in the development of effective policies and practical approaches to tackle key workforce issues such as recruitment, retention and progression in the coming years.”
The research is supported by the FBU.
Brother Paul Mallaghan – Memorial Fund
Following the tragic death of Bro. Paul Mallaghan, a member of Blue Watch, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, a memorial fund has now been set up:
The Paul Mallaghan Fund
Cheques made payable to –
The Paul Mallaghan Fund
Nat West bank
Account no: 14021943
Sort code 60-10-39
Cheques or cash can be paid
into this account or cheques sent to the service accountant at:
Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service
Old London Road
Hertford
Herts
SG13 7lD
FBU FREEPHONE LEGAL ADVICE LINE
0808 100 6061
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