Cuts

Three Bristol MPs have written an open letter to Brandon Lewis, the Home Office Minister responsible for the fire service, raising serious concerns about cuts to fire and rescue budgets. The move follows the largest increase in deaths from fire-related incidents in twenty years. Kerry McCarthy, MP...

For the first time in their entire history, firefighters in North Yorkshire have voted to take industrial action short of strike action. Their 90% yes vote shows the overwhelming strength of feeling against local plans to reduce firefighter numbers by introducing ‘tactical response vehicles’, trucks...

New research carried out by the BBC has shown that fire crews around the country are taking longer to arrive at house fires due to government cuts to fire and rescue services. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), who were involved with Radio 5 Live’s investigation into fire brigade response times, aired...

More than 60 firefighters face an uncertain future as Warwickshire County Council meet this week (8 December) to discuss slashing millions from the county’s fire service budget. Warwickshire County Council has identified a £67m budget shortfall and is looking at which council services to cut in...

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Avon has slammed cuts to frontline services which will they say compromise the safety of the public and fire crews. The cuts, which include the downgrading of fire stations and vital high rise appliances, and a rescue tender used in serious motorway accidents, have...

A dramatic decline in the amount of fire prevention work that fire and rescue services perform is putting lives at risk, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said, as new figures show that 10,000 jobs have been axed in England over the last seven years. The home office’s ‘Fire Operational Statistics...

Firefighters are struggling to tackle a major fire that has engulfed a scrap metal recycling plant in Liverpool because of government budget cuts, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said. The fire at Seaforth Docks is currently in its third day. Mark Rowe, secretary of the FBU in Merseyside, said:...