In the last parliament government cut 30% of its central funding to the fire and rescue service. As a result of that nearly 7,000 firefighters jobs went and more than 40 stations closed.
Equipment and appliances were also cut. We have seen unprecedented cuts, and last year was the worst single year for firefighter job cuts in the UK. The Fire Brigades Union is clear that these cuts cannot continue. Emergency response times are slowing, emergency response is increasingly under-resourced and public safety is being put at risk.
Government ministers are now planning further cuts of anything between 25% and 40% across government departments. Cuts on this scale would decimate the fire and rescue service as we know it. This document is the FBU submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), where we explain why it would be ludicrous and dangerous to continue with the austerity agenda in the fire and rescue service.
