Firefighters are at “breaking point” amid a perfect storm of slashed jobs, pay cuts and pressure to cope with the effects of climate change, say campaigners.
One union boss calls it a “national scandal” and fears a mass exodus as exhausted firefighters quit to find less demanding but better-paid jobs.
Since 2011, fire services have seen almost a quarter of their jobs cut – around 11,500 posts – according to the Fire Brigades Union. And 46 fire stations closed in the 10 years to 2020.
