The fire service’s biggest mobilisation since the Second World War is being undermined by shortages of equipment, staff and training, firefighters have said.
The Fire Brigades Union said it was collating reports from members who were reporting having been involved in huge numbers of rescues and wide-scale evacuations as well as working in specialist water rescue teams and staffing specialist pumping equipment.
But the union also said that it was becoming clear that serious budget restrictions caused by cuts in central funding across the fire service were creating problems such as equipment shortages and inadequate training.
FBU general secretary said: “Firefighters are doing a fantastic job in the floods, saving lives and reducing damage done to homes and businesses, and are always proud to serve their communities during difficult times.
“But a very troubling picture is emerging of understaffed operations, badly equipped firefighters and inadequate training severely hampering their work and creating greater risk for firefighters and the public.
“Although there has been improvement in equipment after firefighters raised concerns during the 2007 floods, it seems our calls for better preparation and support have not yet been adequately addressed, with unprecedented cuts severely jeopardising our ability to cope with the floods effectively.
“Firefighters are keen and proud to do this work but they have the right to expect the best levels of training, equipment and resources. That was promised after 2007 but has not been delivered and the situation is getting significantly worse due to the huge cuts the government has made to fire service budgets.”
The union also highlighted safety concerns at the failure of some fire and rescue services to include flooding in their plans for local risks.
The union said that the practice of using firefighters from other fire and rescue services to support the local workforce had been severely tested as floods affected more and more areas, with 20 other brigades helping in Devon and Somerset and a further 16 sending crews to support Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service over the last week and many firefighters sent away for days on end with little notice.
Examples of equipment shortages reported by firefighters so far include (based on reports from across the UK fire and rescue service):
– Large numbers of firefighters attending floods in protective equipment designed for dealing with fires, rather than water
– A shortage of specialist fire service vehicles capable of driving through high levels of water
– A lack of sufficient dry suits, meaning replacement crews had no immediate access to this equipment, restricting their ability to respond
– Pool quality dry suits and other equipment
– A lack of replacements for equipment damaged during use
– Widespread problems relating to health and welfare, with firefighters being affected by suspected waterborne infections and sickness
– The deployment of ageing or deteriorating boats.
Problems with training were also reported, with firefighters saying that specialist water training (for example for using boats) had been significantly reduced because of budget restrictions.
Last Friday Wrack visited firefighters in the south west of England to hear about their work first hand.
The union said it would be collating information on the service’s response to the floods and raising it with the government and employers.
