Trapped by fire? Pray you're not one of the 20 that they aren't allowed to help
NEW health-and-safety rules could see retained firefighters unable to help in life-saving rescues if they can't raise a full crew.
From yesterday, retained fire crews across Norfolk are no longer allowed to attend “life risks” unless a team of more than four firefighters is available – but last week they could have done.
“Life risks” are fires where people are thought to be inside or car crashes where people are trapped and members of the Retained Firefighters’ Union (RFU) believe response times for these incidents will increase.
The new brigade policy has been made to protect crew members, but the RFU argues falling numbers of volunteers result in stations regularly having crews of three and under, meaning larger teams from further afield will now have to be called in.
Mr Tristan Ashby, Norfolk secretary of the Retained Firefighters’ Union, said the public were being “short changed” by a service not being managed as “effectively and as efficiently as they would expect.”
He added: “We do not support the mobilisation of a crew of three as best practice, but until such a time as the brigade takes these issues of recruitment and retention seriously, the alternative will increase risk within our county.”
But the Fire Bridgade Union (FBU) welcomes the policy despite the potential increase in response times.
Mr Peter Greeves, chairman of the Norfolk branch of the FBU, told the Lynn News: “A team of three which arrives on scene first can’t physically do anything to help without endangering the life of one of the team. We take risks every day of the week, it’s part and parcel of the job, but we have to minimise those risks.”
Mr Greeves said small crews were already restricted and crews of three were only introduced around nine years ago because of recruitment problems.
He went on: “Response times may increase and it’s up to the fire brigade to sort the retained stations out. They have to recruit more retained firefighters and increase the recompense of the existing ones to build-up crew sizes. They can’t just hope and pray it will go away.”
Norfolk’s deputy chief fire officer, Mr David Worsley, said: “Until recently we have taken the view that the increased risk faced by a crew of three was tolerable where it could be justified by the potential to save a life.
“This was not an easy decision as the obligations to establish safe systems of work for firefighters and the desire to save life cannot be readily reconciled in this instance.”
A recent review carried out by Norfolk Fire Service showed a crew of three was sent as the first pump only about 20 times a year.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
