LATEST ‘ORGANISER’ MAGAZINE

LATEST ‘ORGANISER’ MAGAZINE FROM LONDON FBU – CLICK HERE

WARWICKSHIRE FIREFIGHTERS MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL – REACTION

FIRE BRIGADES UNION

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 MAY

 

Matt Wrack FBU general secretary said: “We note the verdict today and will continue to monitor these legal proceedings. We will have further comment to make at the conclusion of the trial.

 

“As a watch manager, Paul Simmons is a frontline firefighter.

 

“He is not and never has been a senior officer, let alone a fire chief as sometimes reported.

 

“The threat of prosecution has been hanging over Paul since November 2007 when four of his fellow firefighters died at Atherstone on Stour.

 

“Paul Simmons and his family are greatly relieved at the ‘not guilty’ verdict. There are also the families of those who died and our thoughts remain with them as they continue to deal with their tragic loss.

 

“Those families, the colleagues of those who died, and firefighters and officers across the UK want to get to the bottom of what happened on that night. We all need to know what happened so that lessons can be learned and we can try to ensure such tragedies are avoided in the future.

 

“Criminal proceedings such as these may give some answers. But no matter what happens in this case as it proceeds, some of the detail necessary to fully learn lessons and avoid future tragedies may not form part of those proceedings.

 

“Our concern from other firefighter deaths in recent years is that lessons are not being fully learned or addressed. And that ‘old’ lessons we learned at great cost are being forgotten.

 

“Four firefighters died in tragic and terrible circumstances.  We have a duty to the families of those who died, their colleagues and firefighter s across the UK – who are still going into burning buildings – to learn lessons and to make our work as safe as it can be in the very hazardous and hostile environments that we work in”.

 

The trial continues in regards to the other two defendants.

MORE ASSETCO SECRECY AND BYE-BYE COLEMAN?

MORE ASSETCO SECRECY AND BYE-BYE COLEMAN? CLICK HERE

MICK SHAW MEMORIAL EVENT

To all London FBU branches

MICK SHAW MEMORIAL EVENT

A memorial event to celebrate the life and work of former London firefighter and FBU president Mick Shaw, who died on 1 April, has been organised by the FBU. All FBU members, serving and retired, are invited to the event. Friends and comrades of Mick from outside the FBU are also invited.

The memorial will commence at 6.30pm on Friday 18 May at the headquarters of the TUC: Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS (nearest tube Tottenham Court Road).

Yours in unity

LONDON REGION FBU

Please find herewith a link to a story about the worsening plight of AssetCo, which has been given prominent coverage in today’s edition of the Observer.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/05/london-fire-service-privatisation