The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) should immediately halt planned cuts in the central London fire service and carry out an immediate review of its London Safety Plan following the tragic incidents of 7 July. The union said lessons needed to be learned from the fire service response to the multiple bomb blasts and asked for the fire authority to “press the pause button”.

London Regional FBU Secretary, Andy Dark said: “The firefighters and other emergency service workers have performed admirably and professionally. Firefighters and other emergency workers have worked in an unimaginably difficult and dangerous environment hundreds of feet below the streets of London.

“We were very seriously stretched by these awful attacks. But what we dealt with yesterday was nowhere near a worst case scenario, because it could have been many times worse.

“For months we have said we have major professional concerns about the removal of fire engines and firefighters from central London. Manchester Square Fire Station in Marylebone was closed and fire appliances from Central London were redeployed to the suburbs.

“The removal of fire appliances included those from the fire stations at Bethnal Green, Euston, Westminster, Clerkenwell, Islington, Kensington, Knightsbridge and Dockhead. Alongside the closure of Manchester Square Fire Station these are in the immediate vicinity of the explosions that have occurred.

“The removal of two other engines from Acton and Greenwich, aside from the impact locally, will affect the availability of fire engines to backfill those stations which are attending major incidents in Central London.

“The threat has now become the reality. The fire authority needs to press the pause button on these cuts and changes and carry out a serious review to ensure we can provide the best professional response to any event in the future.

***ENDS***

Notes for Editors

• The London Safety Plan was agreed by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority in March 2005.

• The London Safety Plan saw the deployment of 10 extra fire engines to the suburbs at the expense of 10 fire engines in Central London and the closure of a Manchester Square Fire Station. It included a net loss of two fire engines and a further loss of 180 firefighter posts from fire station across London.

• The public consultation on the proposals saw overwhelming opposition to the changes in fire cover.

• The Government has provided extra money for new specialist appliances but has refused to give local authorities extra money for the extra personnel and training that is required.

For further information contact

FBU London Office: 0207 359 3638

Andy Dark (Regional Secretary London FBU) Mobile: 07973 521607

Mick Shaw (FBU Executive Council member, London) Mobile: 07711 682577

Linda Smith (Regional Treasurer, London) Mobile: 07854 998501