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Firefighter January/February 2006

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Firefighter January/February 2006 FireFighter January/February 2006 Buncefield controversy still rages general secretary Time to stop the cuts to our service his is the first issue of (see Firefighter, October 2005). Firefighter for 2006. I would These showed for 2003 that 3,868 T therefore like to take the people had been rescued alive from opportunity to send best wishes dwelling fires in England – a rise for the forthcoming year to all of 42% in a decade. These figures members of the FBU and to your are part of a remarkable story of families and friends. success for the fire service. They December 2005 saw the are a tribute to every single man huge fire at the Buncefield fuel and woman who works in the UK depot. Our members responded fire service. They are the facts magnificently as they always do. that should be shouted from the Members in Hertfordshire were rooftops by fire authorities and supported by teams from many by government ministers. Yet we brigades across the country. All had to discover these figures by those who attended worked with questions being asked in parliament. dedication, professionalism and Remember, these figures were determination. Their efforts went only for England and only for above and beyond the call of duty rescues from fires in the home. They and the whole of the fire service therefore do not take into account and the public are rightly proud of It is a shame that the other areas of emergency them. intervention which the service The Buncefield incident will be those politicians able carries out, such as road traffic the debated and discussed for a accidents and so on. Unfortunately considerable time. I have already to make decisions it appears that these figures are spoken to many of our members about the future deliberately not reported so as to who were involved. Local officials undermine the intervention role of will be continuing this process so of the service seem the service and thereby justify cuts that lessons are learned and the to the service. concerns of FBU members who to want to ignore Of course, events like the attended are raised. the day‑to‑day explosion and fire at Buncefield Of course the outstanding simply cannot be ignored but it is a effort of firefighters at Buncefield successes of the shame that those politicians able to comes as no surprise to me or make decisions about the future of to other members of the FBU. I service, says the service seem to want to ignore know that firefighters perform Matt Wrack the day-to-day successes of the in such a manner and with such service. It is also a great shame that professionalism, 24 hours a day, at the same time as firefighters are 365 days a year. For a considerable praised for doing such a fine job the time we have raised concerns that attempts to make cuts in the service the successes of the UK fire service continue. are not being publicised by fire Many fire authorities, including service politicians or by the Office hertfordshire, are introducing of the Deputy Prime Minister. measures which will lead to a in October we released statistics reduction in the level of service on rescues by the fire service provided, mainly by cutting jobs. It Firefighter January/February 2006 InsIde Time to stop the cuts to our service is simply not acceptable to praise The government firefighters in one breath and make cuts to the service they provide is trying to take with the next. It is surely time to cover story 8 stop the financially driven attacks away the pension Firefighter tells the on our service. story of Buncefield hertfordshire’s emergency fire rights which were cover picture: Mike SeaMan/MSi photography control co-ordinated and managed No Minister a response which was not regional 13 but national. It was ably assisted explained to you Firefighter responds to by neighbouring brigades. The Jim Fitzpatrick control system did not collapse, it when you joined the Pensions update 14 did not buckle, but showed how truly resilient it is and how truly fire service The Union gears up to debate industrial action professional those who work in the control are. Hertfordshire’s and alter the age at which members Handling MRSA 16 control did work which would have can retire. What can be done to reduce the risk of been difficult or near impossible to These changes are proposed cross-infection by firefighters organise from the proposed remote for existing members and they centre in Cambridgeshire. It is a are therefore threats to all FBU shame that there was no praise members. In addition, there a from ministers for the work of whole host of changes facing new emergency fire controls. entrants through the introduction of a new scheme. At recent Pensions – legalised robbery meetings throughout the UK The threat to our pensions members have expressed anger remains very much alive. FBU that a pension scheme can be officials have attended a number altered after someone has joined of very detailed meetings of the it and been paying into it for some selection of the fittest? 18 Firefighters Pensions Committee time. Effectively this is a form of New standardised national recruitment but unfortunately there have been legalised robbery. The government tests are on the way no concessions made there on the is trying to take away the pension major issues facing us. rights which were explained to you The threat to pensions is a when you joined the Fire Service. threat to every single member of Our union policy on this instructs the current schemes, whether the the Executive Council to recall the Firefighters Pension Scheme (FPs) union conference if detrimental or the Local Government Pension changes are proposed. We now scheme (LGPs). This threat will affect appear to have reached that stage. your pension rights in a number of Conference will meet and discuss the ways. The most important proposed campaign to defend pensions. That changes would alter the ill-health will inevitably mean considering a call retirement provisions currently for industrial action. It is therefore e-learning 20 available; alter the arrangements for vital that every single branch meets Retained firfighters complete a retirement following injury at work; to discuss the issues facing us. successful pilot scheme January/February 2006 Firefighter campaign news Cleveland Norfolk FBU gears firefighters Campaign against Cuts up to oppose cuts The FBU in Cleveland is launching a public campaign against proposals The FBU has warned that lives it,” he said. “We have never been blowing up in Hemel Hempstead, to cut the local fire service. could be put at risk if plans to cut that well-funded and are short on we would be in a lot of trouble and Cleveland Fire Norfolk firefighter posts are given staff as it is so we could not let we need all resources on hand – so Authority’s Year the go ahead. this go ahead. we can respond in an emergency.” Integrated Risk Proposals to cut 32 retained “There are grave concerns that in Norfolk there are 400 fire- Management Plan proposes fire officer posts and lose four if cuts are made now it could go fighters, 208 whole time and 192 to cut 66 frontline engines from the county’s already on year after year and the conse- retained, based in five whole time operational firefighters by stretched service will have “grave quences would be horrendous. stations and 35 retained stations. removing a fire appliance, consequences”, the Union said. “We cannot afford to do this There are two main stations reducing crewing levels on The possible cuts have been here. There are potential risks in in Norwich, one in Kings Lynn, appliances, removing an suggested as a step towards this area. I do not wish to scare- Yarmouth and Thetford. hP, closing Middlesbrough resolving an apparent multi- monger but we have a lot of Mr Day added: “We are hoping Marine Fire Station from million pound shortfall in funding factories and oil refineries. There these changes do not have to be midnight until noon and for the county which could also is a huge difference between made but we will oppose things removing the operational see the loss of hundreds of civil having two fire engines attending that affect our firefighters and response ability from service jobs and a cut in other on scene or one and more staff the people we look after.” headline Fire Station, which public services. means attending a fire earlier, The leader of the county is crewed by retained Neil Day, brigade secretary for which means a difference between council, Alison King, has set out firefighters. the FBU, said there were grave a small blaze and a major fire. the scale of cuts in services and The union is distributing concerns for the future of fire “in these situations lives extra charges needed to peg thousands of leaflets to services. “if there are any job could be at risk. If we ever had council tax rises at either 3, 4 or 5 local residents calling losses or cuts we would oppose a situation like the oil refinery per cent next year. on them to write to fire k iyo authority chief, councillor S hi Robbie Payne, asking him to o ta / ta shelve the plans. NTI The FBU has submitted a preliminary response to the IRMP and a round of well- attended branch meetings held in recent weeks have shown a determination by members to resist these damaging cuts. “Cleveland fire authority want to make major changes to our community fire and rescue service,” said brigade secretary Steve Watson.
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