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As extreme weather incidents become more frequent, firefighters are overstretched and unable to attend every 999 call.
The FBU are calling for thousands more firefighters to strengthen national resilience.
Source: @BBCCornwall @BBCNews
Joe retweeted
🚨 Firefighters from Foleshill station spent most of last night tackling a house fire in Coventry with persons reported inside.
West Midlands Fire Service plans to cut night-time cover at Foleshill station by removing its second fire engine.
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Wildfires were placed on the National Risk Register in 2013. In 2022, we saw a whole street in Wennington burn to the ground. This year, we saw 19 homes destroyed in Stourbridge.
And yet, we're still here, making the case for more firefighters on the frontline.
FBU general secretary Steve Wright addressing the MHCLG committee on the state of the Fire and Rescue Service.
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Firefighters control make life-saving decisions in seconds, then often carry the weight of those calls home.
Nikki Haxton-Jones, LFB Firefighter Control and FBU Control section rep, talks about her experience in control this International Control Room Week.
Joe retweeted
Cuts to firefighters, fire stations and appliances put firefighters' health and safety at risk.
We've lost 12,000 firefighters since 2010. Crews are working longer hours under greater pressure than ever, making it harder to take proper breaks and follow vital decon procedures.
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Today I visited Thames Valley Fire Control, where I met White Watch, joined by White Watch from Whitley Wood fire station, as part of International Control Room Week.
We had a good discussion about the impact of this summer’s wildfires, the challenges facing firefighters and control staff, and the vital role control plays in supporting crews at major incidents.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to meet with me. Our control members are an essential part of the @fbunational and must be recognised, valued and properly resourced.
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Communities across the West Midlands deserve a fire and rescue service that is properly crewed, properly funded, and available 24/7.
West Midlands fire service must abandon plans to cut frontline cover. Cuts kill.
@liambyrnemp speaks against the closure of Ward End fire station
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This wildfire season has exposed years of underfunding and cuts that have left control rooms understaffed and overstretched.
This International Control Room Week, we recognise the vital role of firefighters control in keeping the public safe.
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Good to meet @fbunational members at St Albans fire station this evening.
We had a really good discussion covering the national industrial and political landscape, the challenges facing firefighters and control staff, and the FBU’s current campaigns and priorities.
We also discussed the future direction of our union and the importance of solidarity, member engagement and collective action.
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Wildfires devastated the West Midlands this summer.
West Midlands FRS now plans to cut frontline cover from 14 stations across the region.
These proposals would leave fire crews covering larger areas with fewer resources, putting firefighters and the public at risk.
Source: BBC - Wildfire: A Warning from the Midlands
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Last week in Wales, I visited Red Watch at Cardiff Central Fire Station.
Good discussion on the summer wildfire response, kit, PPE and decon, leave arrangements, establishment numbers and the impact of assisting other agencies.
Thanks to the watch for their time and for sharing their experiences.
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Over the summer, firefighters control were struggling to take toilet breaks because there weren't enough staff to keep up with the calls.
FBU regional treasurer for Wales, Gemma Thomas, spoke to the Senedd this week about the urgent need for investment in FRS control rooms.
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🚨 Off the back of the wildfire summit that the FBU called for, the government has allocated £45 million to building wildfire resilience.
This includes providing specialist wildfire PPE, better land management and specialist equipment to assist in tackling the blazes.
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🔥 This summer has exposed an unacceptable level of risk that firefighters and the public face.
Investment is about political choices. If a political choice is made not to properly fund the fire service, then that is a choice to continue putting lives at risk.
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✊ STUC Women’s Conference 2026
Kerry McCrone, FBU Scottish Women’s Secretary, seconded the RMT motion on Supporting Offshore Women Workers.
Kerry highlighted the clear similarities between the challenges faced by women working offshore and women firefighters, both working in traditionally male-dominated industries where workplace facilities, policies and cultures have too often failed to recognise and accommodate the needs of women.
From inadequate welfare and sanitary facilities to ill-fitting PPE, workplace discrimination and a lack of understanding around women’s health, the parallels are striking.
Kerry emphasised that women should not have to continually fight for basic dignity, safety and equality simply because they work in industries historically designed around men.
Women should not have to adapt to workplaces that fail to meet their needs. Workplaces must adapt to ensure women are properly supported.
✊ Solidarity with our RMT sisters and all women working in male-dominated industries.
#STUCWomensConference #FBUWomen #RMT #WomenWorkers #WorkplaceEquality #HealthAndSafety
@fbunational @FBUScotNorth @FbuEast @WestScotlandFBU @FBU_Scotland_EC @AngusSproul @JMcKScotRegSec @fire_scot
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🚒 FBU Scotland | STUC Women’s Conference 2026
✊ Closing the Gender Pension Gap – Dignity in Retirement for Scottish Women
FBU Scotland’s Seona Hart spoke in support of Motion 2, brought by UNISON, highlighting the pension inequalities faced by women across Scotland, including operational firefighters and firefighter control.
Seona highlighted the injustice faced by women firefighters who choose or need to extend their maternity leave beyond the current 26 weeks full pay from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
The resulting reduction in pay and pension contributions can have a lasting financial impact for women who choose to start or grow their family and contributes to the gender pension gap.
Our own FBU maternity survey confirmed that women firefighters are taking additional maternity leave beyond the current period of full pay.
While fire and rescue services across the U.K. are improving maternity provisions and moving towards 52 weeks of paid leave, SFRS is falling behind and letting its women firefighters down.
This is exactly why the FBU continues the FF52 campaign for 52 weeks full maternity pay, a campaign that is not simply a maternity or family friendly campaign, it’s an EQUALITY campaign✊
#STUCWomensConference #FBUScotland #FightFor52 #MaternityRights #GenderPensionGap #WomenFirefighters #EqualityInRetirement
@fbunational @FbuEast @WestScotlandFBU @FBUScotNorth @FBU_Scotland_EC @AngusSproul @JMcKScotRegSec @fire_scot
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Politicians and the public must understand that aerial support and banning disposable BBQs alone will not make the UK wildfire resilient.
Firefighters need the resources, training and numbers to prevent and respond to these incidents properly.
@UnionSteveW on BBC One Breakfast.
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Cuts to 14 stations across the West Midlands could lead to slower response times and put the public at risk.
The FBU are calling for more firefighters across the UK to build resilience against wildfire and flooding incidents - not more cuts.
FBU general secretary @UnionSteveW on BBC Midlands Today.
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Severe drought is limiting firefighters' access to water, while drier ground is increasing the risk of rapid flash flooding.
The FBU is calling for a statutory duty for flood response in England and sustained investment in the fire service.
FBU general secretary Steve Wright on Times Radio.