Cuts

Commenting on the latest assessments into HMICFRS, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) South East regional secretary Joe Weir said: “We welcome the regular inspection of fire and rescue services as part of the work of HMICFRS. It is absolutely right that fire and rescue services are held to high standards....

Firefighters decamped to Westminster to meet with MPs last week, securing the support of Shadow Fire Minister Karen Lee, Jo Stevens and Graham Morris, who spent time discussing the planned cuts and pledged to campaign for fairer funding for the service. The lobby of Parliament follows the news that...

Cleveland firefighters were left waiting by the phone as two wildfires ravaged local forests and moorland. Crews at the scene were stretched to the limit, while “complacent” management chose not to call in firefighters waiting on-standby, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The news comes...

Surrey County Council has been accused of “discrimination”, as proposed cuts to fire and rescue service will hit elderly and disabled residents hardest. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called the revelations “shameful”. Vulnerable people are at a higher risk when a fire breaks out and require...

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has branded proposed further cuts to Surrey fire and rescue service as “incomprehensible”, just months after a government inspection voiced “serious concerns” about the county’s fire and rescue service. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has experienced brutal cuts, with...

Firefighters cautiously welcome the decision by Tyne and Wear Fire Authority to postpone the worst of proposed cuts to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). After a successful lobbying campaign from members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the fire authority agreed to delay proposals to...

The Westminster government will cut fire and rescue service funding in England by 15% over the next year, analysis from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has found, despite claiming that “austerity is over”. Firefighters warn that the government is refusing to learn the lessons of the Grenfell Tower...

Firefighters have rescued record numbers of people this year, according to data obtained by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). Figures show an increased public need for rescue services, prompting calls for the government to properly fund fire and rescue services as they serve increasingly varied roles...