Fire Brigades Union

New Campaign Campaigns

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  Email East Sussex Fire Authority to demand they stop fire and rescue cuts

  We are firefighters in East Sussex who are extremely concerned about the proposed cuts to our fire service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, East Sussex Fire Authority are rushing through a consultation on further cuts to our service, including: ● Cutting 10 fire engines from across the county at Battle, Bexhill, Crowborough, Lewes, Newhaven, Rye, Uckfield, Seaford, Heathfield and Wadhurst fire stations; ● Cutting dedicated crews for high-reaching aerial fire appliances in Hastings, even after Grenfell; ● Cutting wholetime firefighter staffing levels across the county, particularly at fire stations in Lewes, Newhaven, Uckfield, Crowborough, Battle and Bexhill; ● Cutting on-call firefighter numbers across the county; ● Reducing night-time fire cover at The Ridge fire station; ● Introducing less family-friendly shift patterns As firefighters, we have a duty to tell you that these cuts are a clear and present danger to public safety. The plans proposed by East Sussex Fire Authority were also drawn up before the COVID-19 crisis, and do not take into account what fire and rescue services should look like into the future. We are currently taking on additional work to support our communities and emergency services, and cuts to our service will negatively impact our ability to keep the public safe. Our service is already under pressure due to years of austerity, which has seen 11,500 firefighter jobs cut across the UK, and 89 firefighter jobs cut in East Sussex. This pandemic has shown just how vital our fire service is – we cannot go back to an austerity model where our public services are the first in line for budget cuts. Public safety must be put first and our service needs investment, for now and for the future. Help us to put pressure on East Sussex Fire Authority to halt the consultation and stop cuts to our fire and rescue service. We are running out of time. Please send an email to the chair of the fire authority now.

  2,182 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Fire Brigades Union
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  #RescueSuffolkFire - Sign the Statement of Support

  Fire services across the Eastern Region are being cut to the bone as a result of austerity and reduced funding. Yet attempts by Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) managers, to cut costs and slash budgets, have seen attacks on the emergency frontline service and firefighter terms and conditions in Suffolk to a level we aren’t seeing in other fire services in the region. Suffolk fire chiefs have delivered & imposed cuts in such a way that Suffolk firefighters are struggling to provide similar levels of fire cover to that which we see in neighbouring counties. A life or business in Suffolk isn’t worth less than elsewhere. Why do Suffolk residents receive a lower level of fire & rescue response than their Eastern Region neighbours? Suffolk residents are now experiencing the longest waiting times for a fire engine in the East of England, and when one eventually does arrive, it’s now possible that it will only have a reduced crew of 3 firefighters on it, too few to effect rescues, with those crews being likely to have reduced or difficulty accessing the appropriate risk critical training. All at a time when the demand on the fire service service is on the increase. It isn’t right that Suffolk residents receive a worse standard of fire cover and emergency response than the rest of the region. It isn’t right that Suffolk firefighters are being asked to work to less safe standards than the rest of their Eastern colleagues. It isn’t right that the professional voice of Suffolk’s firefighters is being ignored We the undersigned demand Suffolk County Council and SFRS management take the following steps, as a minimum, to improve the situation in Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service: • Immediately stop mobilising fire engines crewed by only three firefighters. Five firefighters is the safe minimum number needed to safely tackle a fire and effect rescues. Any fewer poses a threat to the safety of firefighters and the public • Review emergency fire attendance times in Suffolk and how they can be improved, without detrimentally affecting the health and safety or terms and conditions of Suffolk firefighters • Review the delivery of risk critical training in Suffolk. Firefighters must have this risk-critical training and should not have to sacrifice their work-life balance to receive it • Review budgets and the allocation of funding to emergency front-line service in comparison to back room projects • Listen to staff and their elected representatives and abide by nationally agreed, collective, contractual agreements We aren't prepared to compromise on public or firefighter safety in Suffolk. Enough is enough and Suffolk firefighters and residents deserve better. #RescueSuffolkFire

  2,136 of 3,000 Signatures

  Created by Eastern FBU
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  Don't cut fire services in Devon and Somerset

  Devon and Somerset Fire Authority are currently consulting on the biggest cut proposals in living memory. These cuts propose to: • Close 8 fire stations in Appledore, Ashburton, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Kingston, Porlock, Topsham, and Woolacombe • Cut night cover at fire stations in Barnstaple, Exmouth, and Paignton • Cut the second fire engine at Crediton, Lynton, Martock, Totnes fire stations • Cut the third fire engine from Bridgwater, Taunton, Torquay, Yeovil fire stations • Cut the day cover for the 2nd fire engine at 14 stations in Brixham, Chard, Dartmouth, Frome, Honiton, Ilfracombe, Okehampton, Sidmouth, Tavistock, Teignmouth, Tiverton, Wells, Wellington, and Williton. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) senior management are proposing to introduce 6 roving day crewed engines for targeted response, alongside prevention work which they believe will make communities and visitors to Devon and Somerset safer. How can DSFRS management expect the public to respond to a concept which contains not detail? This is an outrage and total mismanagement by DSFRS. To stop these disastrous cuts, please respond to the consultation and tell DSFRS that we will not accept any deterioration of fire cover in Devon and Somerset. https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/SaferTogether/ServiceDeliveryConsultation/TakePartInTheConsultation.cfm We are not prepared to compromise on public and firefighter safety and call on Devon and Somerset Fire Authority to reject these dangerous proposals. Devon and Somerset residents, visitors and firefighters deserve better.

  30,439 of 35,000 Signatures
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  Stop cuts to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

  South Yorkshire Fire Authority is planning to save up to £4 million a year by cutting the number of firefighters crewing a fire appliance from five to four. This change will see the loss of 83 jobs and put the lives of people in South Yorkshire at risk. Five is the minimum number of firefighters needed to safely tackle a blaze and to rescue a member of the public trapped inside a burning building. Committing fewer firefighters to an incident risks leaving those inside with less support in a life or death situation. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service say the only other alternative is to slow down response times by reducing the number of fire engines immediately available. It is unacceptable that budget shortfalls will result in firefighters and the public being put at greater risk.

  10,260 of 15,000 Signatures

  Created by Fire Brigades Union