UK: Tony Blair’s cuts in firefighting cost lives

In this video from England, ‘Mark Steel backstage at the Leftfield Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2007, encourages firefighters in the South West of England to join the Fire Brigades Union.’

From British daily News Line:

Monday, 20 August 2007

‘WE COULD’T GET PEOPLE OUT!’ – Newquay pays the price for fire service cuts

Firefighters from all over Britain marched through Merseyside almost a year ago against massive cuts to the fire service in the region. They warned cuts cost lives.

‘Lives were lost because there wasn’t enough equipment to get people out – it’s our fire service,’ said Chris Findon yesterday, the owner of the next door hotel to the one destroyed in a fierce blaze on Saturday night.

Newquay hotelier Findon added yesterday: ‘We are all very upset. We did everything we can to get people out.’

She was speaking as construction crews were making safe the Penhallow Hotel, as search teams waited to begin looking for two people still missing. One man died and five people were injured in the blaze at the Penhallow Hotel on Saturday morning.

Cornwall Fire Brigades Union slammed cuts which meant only one pumping appliance could be used and an aerial platform appliance had be brought in from Plymouth, 50 miles away. The FBU said the fire service in Cornwall was ‘seriously undermanned and understaffed’.

Cornwall FBU chairman Mike Tremellan said it was clear firefighters would have wanted every appliance available but ‘only one pump was available due to a lack of staff’.