The firefighters in England “collapse” in the middle of the funding cup of 1 billion pounds sterling, the chiefs say | Firefighters
Fire barracks in England are “collapsing,” warned firefighters, with dropped funding of approximately 1 billion pounds sterling in the last decade, calls have increased by a fifth.
Fires and rescue should not become the “forgotten emergency service”, urged the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), warning increasing pressures which “risk undermining public security and firefighters” because it responds to more than 999 calls with fewer firefighters.
The appeal is before examining the government’s expenses next week, in which the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, promised to support the NHS and to increase defense budgets.
The fire services have not been mentioned, which is concerned that they will be forgotten, according to the NFCC, which represents the chiefs of sheets across the United Kingdom.
The number of firefighters in England has dropped a quarter in seven years, the equivalent of 11,000 full -time employees, according to government statistics.
There has also been an estimated deficit of 1 billion sterling pounds of capital financing since the previous government eliminated an important subsidy in 2014-2015, which, according to the NFCC, meant that the services could not maintain or modernize aging infrastructure, including fire barracks.
Not reversing this damage could endanger the public and the firefighters, said Phil Garrigan, president of the NFCC.
The investigation into the death of two firefighters and a member of the public in an Oxfordshire fire opened on Tuesday. Firefighters, Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, would have died when a structure collapsed in a Biceter Business Park during a large fire on May 15. Two other firefighters are still in the hospital.
Financial challenges are met at the same time as the demand for fire and rescue services in England increases. Government figures show that agents responded to 600,185 incidents during the year until December 2024, an increase of 20% against a decade ago.
Although the number of fires has dropped by 11%, unproduced calls increased by 65%, show data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
In 2022, the services dealt with a record number of forest fires, but 2025 seems to be likely to beat this, with 225 forest fires set so far, against 106 over the same period in 2022.
Garrigan said: “These figures are unequivocal: the fire and rescue services are more busy now than they were 10 years ago, and we are more responsibility, no less. The risks encountered are now more difficult and more complex. Despite this, we see firefighter numbers, while all other public services see their number of pre-austerity levels.”
He said that the work of firefighters was “crucial to maintaining public security and we welcome the opportunity to make a real difference, but, if it must be maintained in a context of growing demand, we must see the investments in the fire and rescue service”.
He added: “If we leave fire and rescue services without appropriate financial support and investment, we risk undermining public security and firefighters. With regard to forest fires, floods and terrorism, fire and rescue services are at the heart of the response. If we do not invest, then we must be ready to respond to the communities that based these services in these services Their greatest need. “
Earlier this year, the NFCC called on ministers to take urgent measures to protect communities against the effects of climate rupture, saying that the United Kingdom was not prepared.
The organization said that the ability of fire services to tackle emergencies linked to weather conditions was in danger, although they are often the main first -line response to major weather events, including floods, fires caused by heat waves and storms related to storms, which all become more frequent.
An MHCLG spokesman said: “We understand the challenges that the fire services face, and despite the inheritance with which this government has been left, we are determined to provide better public services thanks to our change plan.
“The fire and rescue authorities received nearly 3 billion pounds Sterling in the last financial year to support our brave firefighters and help them protect our communities.”
