London Fire Brigade faces £18m in cuts, FBU warns

by Breaking NewsEMSFire Brigades Union

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has claimed that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) is facing £6 million in budget cuts, with a further £12 million in what it described as “unidentified savings.”

In a statement released on its website, the union criticised the LFB for borrowing heavily for a new headquarters redevelopment while threatening these cuts to the already overstretched frontline.  

It said that the LFB 2026-2027 budget submission also removes key operational budgets such as for uniform and communications upgrades.  

David Shek, Fire Brigades Union Executive Council Member for London said that “senior leaders of the London Fire Brigade are sitting on reserves and borrowing millions for property projects while fire engines sit idle, without enough firefighters to crew them.” 

The FBU has alleged that between 1 January and 8 November 2025, the full fleet of fire engines was only available for 33 shifts as a result of cuts to crewing, amounting to 1 in 20 shifts.

It said the last time that every LFB fire engine was available was 30 September.  

Swiss Air Force teams up with Rosenbauer for aircraft firefighting training

by AviationFeatured NewsIndustry SectorsProjects

The Swiss Air Force has teamed up with fire service vehicle and equipment manufacturer Rosenbauer to implement its PANTHER training system to enable training for the tactical handling of ARFF vehicles as well as handling the extinguishing and control panels.

The PANTHER training system will be installed in the fire training center of CFR Campus PHÈNIX at Payerne Airport.

The simulator landscape consists of two PANTHER tactical simulators – 8×8 and 6×6 S, as well as two simulators that can be configured bot as ARFF vehicles and command or logistics vehicles.

The two PANTHER simulators are equipped with identical PANTHER cockpits, while the other two have generic cockpits on which all functions can be operated the same way as in the respective original vehicle.

Everything that happens outside the vehicles is displayed on large LED screens in Ultra-HD (4 times HDTV) resolution. Each screen is controlled by its own computer; a total of 18 computers with powerful graphics cards are installed in the training system.

The system also includes a control panel on which the virtual training sessions are planned, programmed, and documented. There are five airport layouts and numerous aircraft types to choose from, the time of day or night, and the weather and runway conditions can be modified in order to make the operational action as realistic as possible.

All firefighting operations from leaking jet fuel to an undercarriage catching fire or burning jet engines can be trained on, whereby the control of the firefighting equipment is just as sensitive as in the real-life counterparts.

“The Swiss Air Force is building a competence center for aircraft firefighting here, where the members of the aircraft incident squads will receive their complete training in future and be able to complete regular drills under real conditions,” saod Hans Schmid, Head of Crash and Fire Rescue Swiss Air Force.

“In the future, each and every member will train on the simulators for at least two days a year. Their integration into an overall system allows us to systematically and efficiently structure the training. In addition, three liquid gas-fired fire simulators (dummy aircraft) are available for “hot” drills on the approximately 26,000 m2 site.”

Markus Zellinger, Managing Director of Rosenbauer Switzerland added: “The Swiss Air Force’s aircraft incident squads can train for every operational scenario imaginable in a resource-saving, safe, and controlled manner. That’s the great advantage of simulator training.”

NFCC launches tools to support fire and rescue services

by Breaking News

National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) People Programme has launched four new tools to support fire and rescue services in the selection, recruitment, nurturing and growth of diverse talent. 

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Hub, Recruitment Hub, Talent Management Toolkit and Coaching and Mentoring Portal have been put together as the culmination of months work by the NFCC project teams and colleagues from across the fire and rescue sector. 

Each tool champions best practice processes, showcasing sector-endorsed guidance to provide a consistent approach at a national level.  

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Hub contains a of resources to help services ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion are part of everything they do.  

The Recruitment Hub is a centralised resource for colleagues finding and bringing in diverse talent.  

The Talent Management Toolkit has been developed to provide support to fire and rescue services around the key talent management areas: attract, identify, develop, engage, retain, deploy, and evaluate.

And the Coaching and Mentoring Portal allows a continuation of learning and connects individuals with coaches and mentors from within the sector.   

Ann Millington, People Programme Executive said: “I am immensely proud of the work by members of the People Programme in conjunction with fire and rescue services, and the resulting four products.  

“These products signify another significant leap forward by the NFCC in supporting the people already working in, and those yet to join, this exciting and dynamic sector.” 

The toolkits can be found on the UKFRS website.

Residential fire incidents in Singapore drop nearly 7 per cent

by Featured News

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has responded to 339 fire incidents in residential premises between in the first four month of 2022, a 6.9% decrease from the 364 in the same period in 2021, according a report in The Strait Times.

On Sunday, SCDF said that since last October it has embarked on a programme to increase public awareness and teach first aid skills such as administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use a fire extinguisher.

So far, about 1,200 people have participated in the programme, said SCDF.

 The SCDF said it will continue to educate the public about fire prevention measures. Its current effort includes after a fire takes place conducting a post-fire public education campaign, going door to door to share fire safety educational materials with residents.

Mr John Wu, Vice-Chairman of the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC), said: “The NFEC is deeply concerned about the recent spate of residential fires. Fire safety is everyone’s collective responsibility. Everyone can play a part in contributing towards a fire-safe environment.

“The NFEC’s housing premises committee will continue to work closely with SCDF and town councils to raise awareness among more members of the public on fire safety at home.”

Emergency One wins Hérault Fire Service contract

by Featured NewsProductsVehicles

Emergency One UK Ltd has secured a contract with Hérault Fire Service to supply its innovative electric fire appliances and further the net zero goals for the French fire service.

Scottish Government Minister for Business Ivan McKee met with Emergency One, representatives from Hérault Fire Service and French government officials to mark the key export contract as part of a visit to France on 16 May.

The company, based in Cumnock, Scotland, is the UK’s largest manufacturer of fire and rescue appliances and recently launched the E1 EV0 – the world’s first fully electric fire appliance in October 2020.

Scottish Government Minister for Business Ivan McKee said: “The Scottish Government’s drive towards Net Zero emissions is not just an environmental imperative, it opens new markets and creates economic opportunities.

“Businesses such as Emergency One are using their expertise and ingenuity to unlock this potential. The new relationship with Hérault Fire Services has been secured against international competition and positions the company as a global leader in the sector.

“We congratulate Emergency One, wish it well and are delighted to support its efforts through the team at Scottish Enterprise.”

Mike Madsen, Managing Director of Emergency One said: “The development of zero emission fire and rescue vehicles is business critical in a green thinking economy and we are proud to be working with a leading French Fire and Rescue Service to put the first electric fire appliance into service on the European mainland.

“Not only is the electric route safer for the environment but also the firefighters themselves and we are proud of the technology and progress to market of the E1 EV0 the world’s first fully electric fire appliance that highlights Scottish innovation.”