News

Firefighters from the West Midlands will join anti-racist demonstrators on 1 September to oppose a planned rally of the English Defence League (EDL). The Rally Against Hate, organised by the Worcester Trades Union Council, has been called in opposition to a ‘national event’ that the fascist EDL...

Firefighters dealt with more incidents, more fires and saw more fire deaths last year than for most of the last decade in England, yet the Westminster government continues to starve fire authorities of the central funding necessary to keep the public safe. Fire deaths in England increased...

Fire and police stations will close if Hertfordshire’s police and crime commissioner takes over the management of the county’s fire service, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said. David Lloyd revealed he wants to close stations, a move he calls the “rationalisation of the estate”, in an...

Firefighters and emergency control operators have been offered a 2% increase in pay from its national employers. The Fire Brigades Union has said the offer fails to address the need for a significant increase in pay in the fire service following eight years of pay restraint. It says it will...

Even beyond the grave legendary Clash frontman Joe Strummer is still supporting firefighters. A limited edition vinyl recording of London is Burning is being released to raise funds for the Fire Fighters Charity and the Fire Brigades Union’s Firefighters 100 Lottery fund that helps seriously...

Firefighters and emergency control staff are not included in the announcements about a pay boost despite the government’s confirmation today (24 July) that a raft of other public sector workers can expect increases of up to 3.5%. The Fire Brigades Union does not negotiate with the government...

Surrey’s Chief Fire Officer Russell Pearson has been removed from post just months after he was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal, it has been revealed today (20 July). The Fire Brigades Union says it fears Surrey County Council (SCC) ousted him as punishment for his repeated warnings that...

A red plaque will be unveiled this Thursday (12 July) in memory of firefighter Ewan Williamson who died while tackling a fire in Edinburgh in 2009. The red plaque scheme is run by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and aims to honour firefighters killed in the line of duty. It is funded solely from...

Firefighters at the Grenfell Tower fire did not have the resources required to tackle such an enormous blaze, the public inquiry into the disaster has heard. Watch manager Brian O’Keefe was on the third fire appliance dispatched to the scene. He told the inquiry how there were no BA crews left...

A chief fire officer has resigned after allegations surfaced that he sold a service owned land rover to a family member at a vastly reduced rate. Stewart Edgar, CFO of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, stood down this week saying in a statement to staff that he was going to spend more...