Report slams fire deaths

A report into Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services has found “a catalogue of organisational systematic failings” responsible for the deaths of four firefighters who attended a call following a fire at a vegetable packaging plant at Atherstone Industrial Estate in November 2007.

A Fatal Accident Investigation summary report, published by the FBU firefighters’ union last month, highlighted severe failings in the way the incident was planned and assessed for risk, the quality of information available to the incident commander, use of breathing apparatus and training (especially for retrained or part-time firefighters).

The FBU is working with the University of Stirling to review firefighter safety and fatal incidents.

This review will report later this year.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said that over the last decade, twice as many firefighters lost their lives in fires as in the previous 10 years, “and it’s clear that fire and rescue services and government are not learning lessons from these deaths”.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ttseoeyez8xcl3/FBU%20Warwickshire%20Report.pdf