The London Fire Brigade can’t be allowed to dodge reform
As London continues to grapple with the Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police, another critical emergency service, the London Fire Brigade, has largely slipped out of the spotlight since Nazir Afzal’s watershed report exposed a culture of institutional racism and misogyny back in 2022. Nonetheless, as a new Fire Commissioner prepares to take the helm, […]
Firefighters to stage first strike in over a decade
Firefighters in England and Wales will go on strike for four hours next Wednesday in a row over pensions, the Fire Brigades Union have confirmed.
Boris Johnson heckled by firefighters
Boris Johnson was today heckled by firefighters as he defended his plans to close fire stations and cut firefighter jobs across London.
Catastrophe readiness ‘hurt by localism’
Future responses to ‘catastrophic’ events may be undermined by the coalition’s localism drive, a government adviser has told politics.co.uk.
Firefighters protest over safety
Firefighters will protest in Westminster today in an effort to secure greater safety guidance and protection. On Monday, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) released figures showing that least 22 firefighters died on duty since 2003, including eight last year – the worst figure since 1985. As a result, union leaders called for greater protection for […]
Terrorist response units facing setbacks
Terrorist response units for the fire and rescue services are facing budget and timing setbacks, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office (NAO). The fire and rescue services’ £330 million programme was introduced to help provide immediate response to terrorist threats and other large incidents. The programme involves the purchase of […]
Brown vows Royal Marsden repaired “as soon as possible”
The prime minister has promised the government will do everything possible to restore normality to the Royal Marsden Hospital after yesterday’s fire. The top floor and roof of the specialist cancer hospital were gutted by fire yesterday and staff and patients had to be evacuated. Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah visited the west London […]
July 7th victims ‘failed’
The government failed to give the victims and survivors of the July 7th bombings the support they needed after the terror attacks, a new Home Office report finds. The report praises the emergency response to the four bombs on the London transport network last year, but says lessons must be learned on helping victims. “In […]
‘Major communications problems’ in July 7th response
The emergency services’ response to the July 7th bombings in London last year was hampered by “major communications problems”, a new report finds. The London assembly’s investigation into the attacks on the capital’s transport system, in which 52 people died, praised the “incredible acts of courage” by ambulance, police and fire service staff, and members […]
