As the demolition last week of the fire-ravaged Albion hotel in Brighton was underway, following an initial earlier blaze, a second fire broke out in the building.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has condemned cuts to the fire service which have left firefighters and the public at risk.
A fire at the 200-year-old seafront hotel was first reported around 17.30 on Saturday July 15, and firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night.
15 fire engines attended the scene, with crews in fire engines drafted in from London, Surrey, Kent, West and East Sussex to tackle the large fire.
In 1998, a similar large-scale fire at the Albion hotel building was attended by 24 fire engines – nine fewer fire engines attended the scene in 2023.
The response last weekend meant that East Sussex and surrounding areas were left without adequate fire cover as the Fire Service scrambled to deal with the blaze.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has lost nearly 140 frontline firefighters and control room staff to cuts since 2010. As a result, firefighters were forced to work under extreme and unsafe conditions at the scene.
Reported conditions include 13-hour shifts, female firefighters having to use buckets due to a lack of basic welfare facilities, and no facilities for decontamination to protect against the risk of cancer.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: ‘We are witnessing the disastrous impact of over a decade of cuts to our fire service.
‘Since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs have been lost across the UK. An unprecedented number of appliances have been lost and fire stations closed.
‘These cuts have left the fire service unprepared and are putting lives and homes at risk.
‘Ministers and chief fire officers talk about resilience, but you cannot have adequate resilience without having enough firefighters on the frontline – and that means proper funding and investment.’
Joe Weir, FBU Executive Council representative for the South East, said: ‘Firefighters worked under exhausting, appalling and unsafe conditions on the night of the initial fire, doing everything they could despite being stretched to near breaking point.
‘Had there been another incident of a similar size, there would not have been enough firefighters available to put it out and the fire service would have been unable to cope. We simply do not have enough resources. That is the terrifying truth.
‘Our service had to request fire engines from neighbouring regions, who were unable to provide the number needed because of cuts to their services. This is no way to run a service that saves lives and homes. We need urgent investment now.’
- Data obtained by the Fire Brigades Union has revealed that, so far this July, an average of 23 of London’s fire engines have been unavailable every day due to understaffing. This amounts to around one in every six of London’s fire engines.
A peak of 28 fire engines were unavailable on July 16th. London’s only fireboat, essential for river rescue and fighting fires, has been unavailable for 13 shifts this month. These figures only include appliances ‘off the run’ (unavailable) because of a lack of firefighters.
The revelations come on the anniversary of the 2022 London wildfires, and follow the release of the London Fire Brigade’s Major Incident Review into the events of 19th July that year.
On this date, the hottest day since records began, there were 822 fire engine mobilisations. 39 fire engines were unavailable due to understaffing as fires spread across Greater London, destroying 18 homes in Wennington. The LFB’s report acknowledges that this likely resulted in slower response times, an inability to provide adequate resources or firefighter numbers.
Since 2010, London has lost 1,388 firefighters including control staff, 10 fire stations and 26 fire appliances to cuts. (2)
Matt Wrack said: ‘One year on from the devastation of last summer’s wildfires, cuts are still leaving the fire service unprepared.
‘This is putting lives and homes at risk. Londoners should be furious that in the capital city of one of the richest countries in the world, firefighter numbers have been cut so badly that more than 20 fire engines are sitting idle every day. This is a disaster waiting to happen again.
As we continue to face the impact of the climate emergency, we will continue to face an increasing number of wildfires and extreme weather events.
‘We need a UK-wide wildfire strategy, but above all we need proper investment and funding for the fire service. Building resilience starts with having enough firefighters on the frontline.’
Jon Lambe, FBU London regional secretary said: ‘London’s firefighters are protecting lives under immense, unsustainable pressure. Since 2010, we’ve seen over 1,100 London frontline firefighters lost to cuts.
‘Fire engines are left empty in stations because there are not enough firefighters to crew them.
‘The Major Incident Review acknowledges that this hampered the fire service’s response to last summer’s wildfires.
‘It is shocking that we are still seeing up to 28 fire engines unavailable a day a year on. We need serious investment to ensure firefighters can save people’s homes and lives across the capital.’
- FBU general secretary Matt Wrack, has written to Fire Minister Chris Philp requesting a government response to a fiasco surrounding the appointment of an interim Chief Fire Officer for Northamptonshire.
Nicci Marzec resigned from the role last Monday after just 10 days in post. She was appointed by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold, despite the fact that she lacked any operational firefighting experience, and without adequate consultation with the county’s PFCC scrutiny panel.
The FBU has since called for Mold’s resignation.
Their letter reads:
‘Dear Chris, I assume you have been made aware of the recent events in Northamptonshire, relating to the PFCC, Stephen Mold, and the appointment of an interim Chief Fire Officer, Nicci Marzec.
‘The incident has been chaotic. It has, at best, reflected very poorly on decision making by the PFCC but also on the governance arrangements for fire and rescue within Northamptonshire.
‘The previous CFO, Mark Jones, resigned after just nine months into a three-year contract.
‘Even this raises questions about that appointment process and earlier decision making by the PFCC.
‘However, things worsened considerably when the PFCC announced the appointment of Nicci Marzec as interim CFO, claiming that legal advice suggested he had the power to do so without wider scrutiny.
‘Mr Mold claimed the urgency in this decision arose because of imminent Formula 1 motor racing events at Silverstone. This was claimed despite the fact that Ms Marzec has no fire and rescue service operational experience and that operational plans were already in place.
‘While I have no personal knowledge of the individuals concerned, I am aware that questions have been asked about personal and professional relationships involved and whether the interim appointment was appropriate.
‘I understand this is a matter of some considerable political and press interest locally. Local communities certainly have the right to have confidence that such decisions are being made on the best professional grounds, are made without favour and are above criticism.
‘This is reflected in the code of ethics set out by Northamptonshire PFCC and reflected more widely in the fire and rescue service. Sadly, such standards appear not to have been met in this case.
‘These events have created considerable disquiet among employees of the fire and rescue service, considerable media interest and something of a local scandal. They do not reflect well on the PFCC and his decision making nor on the systems of scrutiny in place under the PFCC model.
‘Ms Marzec has now resigned after just a few days in role. The situation is obviously chaotic and embarrassing. I would like to know whether you intend to do anything to address this mess, which has brought shame and embarrassment to the wider fire and rescue service.
‘I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Wrack
General Secretary.’
