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Early Day Motion

Hi
 
Kate Hoey (Chair of the FBU's Parliamentary Group) has tabled an Early Day Motion on Firefighter Safety.
 
As you can see from the date it was tabled it is still early days as yet, but already we have got 35 signatories which is already a significant number (the names of those who have signed already are at the foot of the e-mail)
 
Can I ask that where possible you lobby your local MP's to sign the EDM. The more support we can amass on this issue the greater opportunity is presented to us later to make the argument that any cuts to the FRS will not only seriously compromise Public Safety but also Firefighter Safety. I am sure you understand the logic.
 
Many thanks
 
Dave Green
National Officer
Fire Brigades Union

EDM 465 Tabled
Summary
The following EDM was tabled on 12 July 2010.
New EDM Tabled

 
Firefighter Safety

That this House notes that 16 firefighters have lost their lives at fires since 2003; further notes that, according to the Health and Safety Executive, the rate of injury is higher in the fire and rescue service at 180.1 per 100,000 compared to an all industry average of 105.1; is concerned by the wide variation between fire authorities in the recording and reporting of non-fatal injuries to firefighters; regrets the ongoing absence of a properly resourced national body with responsibility for recording and investigating firefighter deaths and serious injuries; and calls on the Government to commence work with the Health and Safety Executive and other stakeholders to create a body responsible for issuing safety-critical operational guidance resulting from the investigation of any fatality or serious injury to firefighters at work.

Hoey, Kate
McDonnell, John
Walley, Joan
Clark, Katy
Cooper, Rosie
Wood, Mike
Russell, Bob
Durkan, Mark
Ritchie, Margaret
Hopkins, Kelvin
Jackson, Glenda
McCrea, Dr William
Brooke, Annette
Caton, Martin
Cunningham, Tony
Dobbin, Jim
Hancock, Mike
Bottomley, Peter
Shannon, Jim
Simpson, David
Skinner, Dennis
Campbell, Gregory
Corbyn, Jeremy
Donaldson, Jeffrey
Gwynne, Andrew
Leech, John
Sharma, Virendra
Glindon, Mary
Mearns, Ian
Elliott, Julie
Illsley, Eric
Dodds, Nigel
George, Andrew
Blenkinsop, Tom
Lavery, Ian

From: "David Green" <Dave.Green@fbu.org.uk>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:43:12 +0100
To: 20 All Officials<AllOfficials@fbu.org.uk>
Cc: Paul Hampton<Paul.Hampton@fbu.org.uk>
Subject: EDM - 465


Hi
 
Further to my e-mail regarding the EDM on Firefighter Safety.
 
I am waiting for the 'Lobby Your MP' page of the website to be updated with a link to this EDM. In the meantime several officials have asked me to provide a template for Officials/Members to send to their MP's. I have put together a few words that might be of assistance. Please feel free to cut and paste or amend as you feel appropriate as they have been rather hastily put together.
 
Many thanks
 
Yf
 
Dave Green
National Officer
Fire Brigades Union
 
 
 

Template

I am one of your constituents and I am deeply concerned about the ongoing issue of Firefighter Safety. I believe the figures speak for themselves (16 firefighter deaths since 2003) and the lack of any national strategy to address this worrying situation should be of great concern to anyone who cares for the Fire and Rescue Service in this country.
 
The reasons for such a dramatic increase in these figures are clearly complex and need further investigation. However, there are a several issues that I think give cause for concern: specifically - the rise in firefighter deaths has occurred at a time in which the 'modernisation' of the service has been forced upon firefighters. This has meant a reduction in training time, an expansion of the firefighters role (with no real increase in funding) and crucially, a reduction in frontline firefighters. The Fire and Rescue Service is the only emergency service to suffer such a reduction over this period.
 
Meanwhile, we have seen a dramatic increase in non-frontline staff (HR departments have been particularly well populated in this time) and also a huge increase in the Fire Safety role of operational firefighters. Whilst Community Fire Safety is clearly a critical part of the firefighters role, it seems that it has been done at the expense of operational frontline firefighting and training. This must impact negatively on firefighter safety.
 
The recent Emergency Budget and the impending Comprehensive Spending Review in October give further cause for concern. If the Fire and Rescue Service is subject to the huge cuts that have been threatened, then the ramifications for the service will be catastrophic. There is no doubt that to cut the service further will mean cutting into the bone of operational fire cover. Any cuts to the service will mean more deaths in our communities and more deaths of firefighters.
 
Please help protect the Fire and Rescue Service and sign Early Day Motion 465, which reads:
 
FIREFIGHTER SAFETY
That this House notes that 16 firefighters have lost their lives at fires since 2003; further notes that, according to the Health and Safety Executive, the rate of injury is higher in the fire and rescue service at 180.1 per 100,000 compared to an all industry average of 105.1; is concerned by the wide variation between fire authorities in the recording and reporting of non-fatal injuries to firefighters; regrets the ongoing absence of a properly resourced national body with responsibility for recording and investigating firefighter deaths and serious injuries; and calls on the Government to commence work with the Health and Safety Executive and other stakeholders to create a body responsible for issuing safety-critical operational guidance resulting from the investigation of any fatality or serious injury to firefighters at work.
 
If you are unable to sign this EDM I would like you to make representations to the Department for Communities and Local Government asking them to address the issues raised in this e-mail.
 
I look forward to either seeing your name on EDM 465 or the response to the representations I hope you will make on my behalf.

 
Many thanks