The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have today welcomed the publication of the Anthony Mayer review into the London Fire Brigade which has concluded that it should not have its budget cut any further.
Ian Leahair, executive council member for the FBU in London, said: “This is a step in the right direction to begin to rebuild the London Fire Brigade after eight years of reckless cuts under Boris Johnson. Anthony Mayer makes clear that we cannot cope with any further budget cuts. We welcome this new consensus.
“The review is right to recognise that emergency response times have slowed in areas where fire stations have been closed down. It confirms the fears raised by the FBU – that response times would slow and fire deaths in the capital would rise - when the 10 fire stations were closed in 2014. Now the problem has been recognised, we need to put together plans to address it. We look forward to working with Sadiq Khan in order to find a solution that will keep London secure as he prepares his London Safety Plan.”
The FBU in London has also asked the mayor to intervene in the current budgetary pressures that the LFB faces under the last London Safety Plan that could result in job losses.
