Urgent investment is needed to ensure the “dangerously overstretched” fire service is prepared for flooding in future, following the devastation of Storm Babet, according to firefighters’ leaders.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claimed that in areas of Nottinghamshire the fire service did not have enough resources to respond to all emergency calls.
The service was unable to respond to 72 incidents on October 20, the height of the flooding, due to a lack of resources, according to the union.
It pointed out that since 2010, one in five firefighter jobs have been cut across the UK.
The union will unveil a “Firefighters’ Manifesto” next week, setting out a vision for the future of the service.
General secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters and control staff have been working round the clock to respond to the extreme weather and flooding caused by Storm Babet.
“The climate crisis means that extreme weather events are on the rise, but the Westminster Government still refuses to adequately fund the fire service for flood response.
“England is the only country in the UK without a clear statutory duty for fire and rescue services to plan and respond to floods.
“More than a decade of cuts has left the fire service dangerously overstretched on a daily basis. It is pushed beyond limits during emergencies like these.
“Storm Babet has exposed the urgent need to rebuild a properly funded and joined-up service.”
