‘Firefighters battling wildfires with fallacious gear and wish extra assist’

‘Firefighters have been injured with some having to receive hospital treatment – all for putting their bodies on the line’, the Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright writes

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The last few weeks have been some of the most challenging for firefighters in the UK.

Not only have they courageously battled wildfires with some doing shifts as long as 17 hours but many have done so without the correct PPE and without the resources they need to safely and effectively do their job.

Firefighters have been injured with some having to receive hospital treatment – all for putting their bodies on the line to ensure the public is kept safe.

Successful firefighting is a team effort and we must not forget the vital role that fire control staff play who have also been working under extreme pressure and due to cuts have been stretched to the absolute limit.

Added to these pressures, is the fact many of our members have not had access to the correct PPE for fighting wildfires and instead relied on structural firefighting kit. This is heavy duty gear designed to keep firefighters safe when they are trying to rescue people from burning buildings.

It is wholly unsuitable for tackling a wildfire and has led to firefighters suffering increased fatigue and in some cases heat exhaustion. If this was not bad enough, firefighters have had to rely on the goodwill and generosity of the public.

While this is morale boosting to my members, we should not be relying on people to open up their homes so exhausted firefighters can make use of toilet and other welfare facilities.

We’ve seen a staggering number of wildfires this summer, with over 1,000 identified since early July.

But they did not just come out of the blue. We had severe ones in 2022, and wildfires have been part of the national risk register since 2013.

Yet, under the Conservative coalition government since 2010, 12,000 firefighter jobs have been cut.

There is a direct correlation with the drastic cuts the Tories made, and the immense strain wildfires have put on the service.

We are demanding 5000 extra firefighters as a bare minimum to begin the process of replenishing the fire service and bringing it up to a capacity where we can be prepared for future wildfires.

There has been some welcome Government funding so far, a promise to meet with the FBU and others at a Wildfire Summit and positive statements from the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Ultimately it is firefighters on the ground with the appropriate PPE that put out fires, not specialist aircraft or new technology alone.

Proper investment in the right resources and a national strategy on wildfires must be the priority if we are to keep our communities safe into the future.

‘Firefighters battling cuts’

Firefighters have been forced to get their marching boots on and take to the streets in local communities to oppose attempted cuts.

Last month in Kent, we saw hundreds of determined firefighters and their families roll back plans to cuts jobs, closures of stations and removal of fire engines.

I was very proud to address them on both occasions when they marched in Maidstone, successfully convincing councillors to reject the proposals.

In Cleveland our members are now having to gear up to oppose cuts to their jobs and services.

Cleveland fire authority is looking to address a £1.2m deficit but that should be solved through an improved central government funding model, not cutting firefighters in an area where there are heightened risks of fires with the petrochemical industry nearby.

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