East Sussex firefighters pass vote of no confidence in fire service leadership

Members of the Fire Brigades Union say recent changes to systems have resulted in a failure to meet standards

Author: Grace O'HarePublished 17th Jun 2024

Firefighters in East Sussex have unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in the senior leadership team of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members raised a series of issues including areas of East Sussex being left without adequate fire cover; recently introduced IT systems resulting in crucial data being lost; and managers failing to provide crucial firefighter training.

They added recent changes to duty systems have resulted in over-reliance on overtime, with the service failing to meet its own standards for fire cover across the county.

Firefighters have reported that new IT provisions have made work practices less efficient and unsuitable for inputting and storing vital data.

FBU members also cite the mismanagement of crucial firefighter training courses, with poor planning resulting in frequent cancellations with an impact on fire cover.

"Too little has changed"

Simon Herbert, Fire Brigades Union East Sussex brigade secretary said:

"The committee has not taken this decision lightly. Branches first brought resolutions regarding a lack of confidence in the senior leadership team back in 2023 due to a number of issues relating to crewing, shift patterns, reliance on overtime, training, IT and occupational health.

"Fire Brigades Union representatives have worked closely with the Service over the last 6 months to seek improvements to the issues raised. However, FBU members believe too little has changed and many of the issues remain unresolved."

In response, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said:

"All fire and rescue services are under pressure to deliver change at a time when funding is increasingly stretched.

"The Service has already prioritised and progressed key areas mentioned in the notice, and our staff have been working very hard over the last year, delivering change.

"The FBU stance is disappointing given its active involvement and engagement in this improvement work.

"We are changing the way we deliver operational training, and looking at how we continue to invest to ensure we are fit for future challenges.

"Our IT now allows us to review and process information provided by the public and our staff, in compliance with a raft of new legislation and to enhance public and firefighter safety.

"We remain committed to providing an effective service and keeping the public safe. We continue to ensure we can respond appropriately to the needs of our communities."

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