FBU Southern Region 12

After months of FBU campaigning, the government and DEFRA have announced a combined funding uplift of £70m to build wildfire resilience. The FBU will continue to fight for the recruitment of thousands more firefighters.

🚨 Off the back of the wildfire summit that the FBU called for, the government has allocated £45 million to building wildfire resilience. This includes providing specialist wildfire PPE, better land management and specialist equipment to assist in tackling the blazes.

Severe drought is limiting firefighters' access to water, while drier ground is increasing the risk of rapid flash flooding. The FBU is calling for a statutory duty for flood response in England and sustained investment in the fire service. FBU general secretary Steve Wright on Times Radio.

We have backed the flood task force but we need a statutory duty for firefighters to attend flooding events in England so we can make ourselves more resilient. fbu.org.uk/news/2026/10/12/f…

Firefighters cannot rely on heroics to keep our communities safe. We need the equipment, training and investment to protect the public properly.

Firefighters know what's coming. 2027 will bring bigger and more severe wildfires. We cannot wait for the next crisis to tell us we are not ready. Proper investment in the fire service is essential. The wildfire summit must deliver and prepare us for what comes next.

We’ve lost 12,000 firefighters since 2010. If Labour wants to protect the public, they must properly fund the fire service and build resilience back into public services. FBU general secretary Steve Wright on Sky News.

The FBU received a Certificate of Excellence at the Hazards Conference for our DECON campaign and for securing a commitment to health monitoring from the government. FBU health and safety committee and national officer Adam Taylor met today for their quarterly meeting. Tomorrow, they'll be attending a full day training session on lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel vehicles.

This wildfire season, FBU members have faced the fire service's most challenging period since the Blitz. All the while, without proper PPE, welfare facilities or sufficient relief. FBU BEMM rep Dwight Williams moving an amendment to the NEU motion on Climate heat emergency.

The FBU has won unanimous backing from the TUC for the firefighters' concordat on health and wellbeing. We're calling for regular health monitoring for all firefighters and proper decontamination practices at every fire station in the UK.

Firefighters are significantly more likely to suffer and die from cancer than the average worker. We're demanding UK-wide health monitoring and presumptive legislation. And now we have the full, unanimous backing of the TUC.

2,977 people were killed, including 343 firefighters and 67 Britons, during the 9/11 terror attacks. FDNY firefighters' bravery and professionalism will never be forgotten. FBU general secretary Steve Wright will be attending a memorial event at his local fire station.

🔥 The FBU Wildfire National Meeting is underway. General secretary Steve Wright, president Ian Murray, and national officers Adam Taylor and Joe Weir are speaking to FBU officials and reps on the urgent need for a national wildfire strategy for 2027 and beyond.

🔥 The government has agreed to our call for a National Wildfire Summit. This is a chance for FBU members to shape what a UK-wide wildfire strategy should look like. Join us on 3 September for an FBU wildfire national meeting where we'll set our priorities and next actions.

We are demanding 5,000 extra firefighters to begin the process of replenishing the fire service and bringing it up to a capacity where we can be prepared for future wildfires. Our general secretary @UnionSteveW spells out what we need in the Sunday Mirror today. 📰🚒

The FBU have been sounding the alarm for years. We need proper and immediate investment in wildfire PPE, resources and training for every fire and rescue service in the country. We need 5,000 more firefighters now.

Our general secretary Steve Wright spells out the reality of climate change and the conditions FBU members face alongside Climate Minister Katie White MP in the @ObserverUK ✍️📰 🚒 observer.co.uk/news/national…

120 firefighters are responding to the New Forest wildfire. They're working in extremely hot and challenging conditions, and in some cases without proper wildfire PPE. Meanwhile, the rest of the county is left exposed.

FBU members have won against cuts that kill. “When working people stand together in unity against bosses plans to erode safety and cut jobs, we are unstoppable.”