The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is fearful that a fire and rescue service response to another 7/7 style terrorist attack in London could be a lot less effective than it was 12 years ago due to sustained cuts to the fire and rescue service.
The FBU has produced a map of the affected areas of the capital showing station closures, job losses and fire engines taken off the run, next to a second map of available resources in 2005. The maps show that there have been four fire stations shut down and nine fire engines lost that responded to the attack. Since the terror attacks happened over 1,000 firefighter jobs have gone in the capital and, in total, 10 fire stations have closed. Four suicide bombers struck at Aldgate, Edgware Road, Kings Cross and Tavistock Square, killing 52 people.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “It is very concerning to see how resources have been cut since 7/7, and how this could impact on a repeat attack now. More than 200 firefighters were deployed to rescue those caught up in these dreadful attacks, coming from fire stations closest to the attacks, four of which have since been shut down due to funding cuts – a total of ten London fire stations have shut down altogether. These closures, combined with huge job losses and nine fire engines being taken off the run, mean there can be no guarantees that the effective, timely response of fire crews back then would be repeated 12 years later. Given that terrorist attacks are showing no signs of abating – the reverse is sadly true in fact – the FBU is extremely worried on behalf of its members and the public.
“These crucial, life-saving resources need to be put back into the London Fire Brigade so that the public can feel safe again and that London firefighters can be confident that they could carry out effective, timely rescues.”
