The FBU has raised questions over the death of an elderly man in a Surrey house fire last week, after the first fire engine took 13 minutes to arrive.
A nearby fire station had recently been moved to daytime-only cover, meaning that the fire engine likely took “substantially” longer to arrive than it otherwise would have. Local Fire Brigades Union officials have estimated this potential difference at around four minutes longer.
Commenting, Fire Brigades Union regional secretary for the South East Joe Weir said:
“Firstly, I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of the man who has lost his life.
“A fire station local to the incident, at Painshill, was made daytime-only in January 2021. I am told by local officials that if this cut had not happened the first fire engine would likely have reached him substantially quicker and he may well have survived. Fires tend to double in size every minute and our officials estimate the delay here was four minutes long.
“In other words, a man has lost his life and there is a possible relationship with cuts. That is incredibly worrying.”
The fire took place in East Horsley, a village near Leatherhead, in the early hours of Wednesday 24 November.
The changes to fire and rescue cover at Painshill were delivered as part of a new local fire and rescue plan voted through in Surrey in September 2019. The plan included removing seven fire engines, removing nighttime cover at three fire stations, and axing 70 firefighter jobs.
The council assured Surrey residents that the plan would provide a more efficient service, but the FBU opposed the cuts, arguing that they were “dangerous”. FBU members in Surrey were so concerned by the cuts they undertook industrial action, action which was only halted by the pandemic.
Figures released in October this year revealed that Surrey has lost 127 firefighters since 2010, or 17% of its firefighters.
With regards to the statistic on firefighter numbers in Surrey “firefighter” is defined to include wholetime, retained and control staff. The figures are centred around a freedom of information request made by the Fire Brigades Union to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service this year. The statistics relate to headcounts on 31 March of each year.
You can read more details about the fire here: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/elderly-man-dies-following-east-22275129.
