Fire Bridades Union concerned about merger of Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre to Surrey

FIRE BRIGADES UNION IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE: 23rd September 2010 Fire Bridades Union concerned about merger of Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre to Surrey At the Isle of Wight Council Full Council meeting, held on Wednesday 22 September 2010, Councillors voted through plans for an ‘in principle’ decision to move the Island’s emergency 999 Fire Control Centre to Reigate in Surrey. The Fire Brigades Union are deeply concerned that these proposals are hastily being moved forward, to the extent that full public consultation and scrutiny is being pushed aside, with the issue of the Island’s Fire Control not due to return to a Full Council Meeting (rather a delegated decision at a future Cabinet Meeting)…

DeHavilland FBU Report 20/09/2010

DeHavilland Report – Fire Brigades Union Monday, 20 September 2010 Mentions No relevant items Fire Services Central Government and Agencies Audit Commission – Fire services plan well for short-term loss of staff – but longer disruptions may risk public safety Oxfordshire County Council – Fire and Rescue Service commended for excellent service Oxfordshire County Council – Firefighter blows opposition out of the water House of Commons House of Commons Questions Crouch – Fire Services (Kent) Hunt, T – DCLG procurement (tyres) McDonnell – FiReControl Project McDonnell – FiReControl Project IT System McDonnell – Fire & Resue Service Funding Tomlinson – Faulty Electric Installation Fire Statistics Crouch – Fire Services (Regionalisation of control centres) Regions Northern…

EIGHT OUT OF TEN OPPOSE FIRE SERVICE CUTS

THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION MEDIA RELEASE: Immediate release EIGHT OUT OF TEN OPPOSE FIRE SERVICE CUTS FBU Public survey summary report Sept2010 (click link to view) More than eight out of 10 (85%) of the public oppose government plans to cut funding in the Fire and Rescue Service. That’s the key finding from a YouGov survey commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union and released today (Monday September 13) by FBU general secretary Matt Wrack at the Trades Union Congress in Manchester. “It is not true that, when we oppose the cuts, we are acting in the interests of firefighters alone” said Mr Wrack.  “We are acting to protect a service that saves lives, and one…

DeHavilland FBU Report 13.09.2010

DeHavilland Report – Fire Brigades Union Monday, 13 September 2010 Mentions House of Commons Early Day Motions and Petitions New EDM 705 – London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Dispute Non-governmental and International Organisation Press Releases Trades Union Congress (TUC) – TUC General Council statement on the economy, public spending and public services Fire Services House of Commons Statements Lancaster – HMOs (Fire Safety) Johnson, D – NHS Direct House of Commons Questions Sanders – Fire Services (Formula grant distribution) Lucas – AWE Aldermaston Fire (Asbestos) Lucas – AWE Aldermaston (Fire Services) Lucas – AWE Aldermaston Fire (Date) Lucas – AWE Aldermaston Fire (Instructions) Lucas – AWE Aldermaston Fires (Incidents) TV and Radio Farming Today…

BERKSHIRE FIRE BRIGADES UNION CONDEMNS MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUTSOURCE ITS CONTROL ROOM FUNCTION TO SURREY FIRE AND RESCUE

FIRE BRIGADES UNION BERKSHIRE FIRE BRIGADES UNION CONDEMNS MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUTSOURCE ITS CONTROL ROOM FUNCTION TO SURREY FIRE AND RESCUE The Fire Brigades Union has expressed serious concerns over management plans to outsource the control room to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. The control room based at Dee Road in Reading, houses 35 firefighters (control) working 24/7 split into four shifts. They handle in excess of 10,000 emergency calls per annum, mobilise the appropriate resources to incidents and coordinate all operational activity throughout the County ensuring firefighter and public safety. Laura Fellows the RBFRS Command and Control Branch Representative of the Fire Brigades Union said: “Firefighters and Control members in the Royal Berkshire Fire…

LONDON FIREFIGHTERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION

FIRE BRIGADES UNION IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE: LONDON FIREFIGHTERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION London’s firefighters today voted by 4014 votes to 201 for industrial action short of a strike, a majority of 95%, after the London Fire Brigade began the process of sacking all of them, the Fire Brigades Union announced today. The turnout was 76%. LFB’s sacking notices were designed to pressurise firefighters into accepting new shift patterns which would have them working 12-hour day shifts and 12-hour night shifts.  The change from the present shift patterns of two nine hour day shifts and two fifteen hour night shifts a week could also pave the way for a reduction of night-time fire cover. In…

FiReControl project fails Governments test

FIRE BRIGADES UNION IMMEDIATE RELEASE FiReControl project fails Governments tests South west newsdesks: On Monday 13th September the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (CLG) gave evidence to the CLG Select Committee at which he let the cat out of the bag on FiReControl. In giving this evidence he stated that the June 2011 delivery date could not be met by the main contractor EADS. He went on to say that EADS could deliver some elements but with “reduced functionality”. Given that the Fire Minister, Bob Neill, has stated that the Governments commitment to FiReControl is conditional upon EADS delivering this project on time, on cost and with the necessary quality of system,…

DITCH FiReCONTROL NOW – OR RISK MOUNTING COSTS AND EMBARRASMENT, COALITION MINISTERS WARNED

FIRE BRIGADES UNION IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE: DITCH FiReCONTROL NOW – OR RISK MOUNTING COSTS AND EMBARRASMENT, COALITION MINISTERS WARNED The Coalition government stands accused of betraying its own principles by failing to act swiftly to scrap FiReControl, the controversial project to replace 46 local control centres with nine huge Regional Control Centres. The Coalition government “can’t pass the buck” by continuing to support a project which is running way behind schedule, costs have rocketed from £120m to £420m and is plagued by problems with IT systems, Ian Watkins, regional FBU chair for Yorkshire and Humberside warned. “Coalition politicians have already reneged on pre-election pledges to scrap the scheme. Costs are spiralling, buildings remain empty and…

FBU Letter To Buckinghamshire Members

Dear FBU member, You will have recently received, or imminently be in receipt of, a letter and questionnaire sent to your home address from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS). The letter requests that you indicate your availability to work in the event of industrial action, and identifies four different hypothetical scenarios. The Fire Brigades Union strongly believes that this request is unreasonable, unnecessary and ultimately could greatly undermine our ability to defend imminent attacks on your pay, pension, jobs and conditions of service. Having taken legal advice on this matter please be informed that you are under no obligation to respond to the BFRS letter. BFRS is stating that the information collated will form…