A Virtual Picket Line

We have had an IDEA - a VIRTUAL PICKET LINE 

Lots and lots of  people support the Fire Brigades Union's currently industrial action but are unable to pop down to the picket lines at Fire Stations and show their support "in the flesh".

So FCCL have decided to compile a virtual picket line of  photos and comments from members of the public for the forthcoming period of industrial action , which are  

Friday 2 May, between noon and 5pm

Saturday 3 May, between 2pm and 2am

Sunday 4 May, between 10am and 3pm

Simply send us a photo and some text 

explaining why you are

 supporting  the strike to

virtualpicket@gmail.com   

and we will upload the pictures in the

form of a video to our website. 

Don't forget to let us know which area

 of the country you are supporting. 

us a picture of yourself and some text explaining why you are supporting the Fire Brigades Union’s current industrial action to

Death In East Ardsley - a low risk area.

We have posted many times now about Morley Fire Station and WYFRS wish to turn it to a day crewed station in January 2014.Morley on Saturday night attended a fire where sadly a death occurred.

Without the required number of staff residing within the 5 minute radius and the logistics screaming out it is not a practical option Stubborn Simon will plough on and  Morley will be day crewed next year. Adding to fires like the one below an additional minimum of FIVE MINUTES to the response times.

Morley consists of two areas.. one high and one low risk. This particular fire was in the adjoining ward of Ardsley and Robin Hood which is also categorised as low risk. But as we have demonstrated in Keighley which has a similar risk demographics Fire is no respecter of these boundaries.

On Saturday  evening in East Ardsley a man in his 60's died in a house fire. Two engines were sent in the first instance as it was not known until they arrived at the scene  that the fire was a "persons reported" incident and a third engine was dispatched to Laburnum Close (WF3 2HZ)  which looks to have been built originally as social housing.

Our sincere condolences go to his family.

This incident was not reported on the WYFRS incident logs and as of 10am Monday morning we can see no trace of it in the papers. We have never questioned WYFRS about their adhoc use of the public incident logs on their website; perhaps we should as it  most certainly do not reflect the incidents their crews attend. A bird stuck up a tree may get a mention but most often a death is not likely to feature.

Is this because they wish to shelter the citizens of

West Yorks from the devastation fire can deal out?

Surely not, does not a month will go by without some TV soap having to dial 999 and engines
turn up to either dramatically rescue people or stand and watch a ceiling collapse so a long running actor can be permanently dispatched to TV heaven!

We can therefore only assume it is to continue the

 gross manipulation of fire and rescue figures in our area.

But

as the Fire Brigades Union now has a mandate from its members to strike and the scab "operatives" are being trained to stand in for them when the strike is undertaken we cant help but think that if this death were to have taken place during the strike the newspapers would be queuing up to accuse the FBU of murder! It will actually be interesting to see how the reporting of incidents changes in particular on the WYFRS site  during the legal industrial action ( which is always a last resort )and we sincerely hope that the negotiating teams can resolve the matter and that it does not have to take place.

But we hold true to what is being said by fire fighters the length and breadth of the country, this strike is necessary now  to save lives in the future.

We will close with a BRILLIANT statement made by a fire fighter from Hertfordshire FBU. Which we re posted on our facebook page and got our best ever response for a plain and simple post with over 1,300 views in less than 24 hours.

By Herts FBU

Please help educate as many people as possible about the facts and in this day and age we are able to have a big influence on the media machine!!!

Over the next few weeks, the public are going to hear stories in the media about 'greedy, ungrateful, lazy firefighters' that want to strike over their 'gold plated, expensive to the tax-payer, generous pensions' that are 'given' to them by the government, and that our pensions are the 'best around'.

The facts are these, I pay 14% into my pension, £400 per month (feel free to compare that to what any of you pay). The Gov are changing my pension and are going to make me work an EXTRA 10years to receive a LOWER pension, making me work until I'm 60. Over that 10years ill pay an EXTRA £45,000 into MY pension, and receive less per year than I would of under the current scheme! If I'm lucky to live until I'm 80 then this change will cost me PERSONALLY over £100,000!

Would you want a 60year old male or female firefighter coming into your home to rescue you and your  family?

On top of this, they are bringing in a new scheme, that if I don't meet their fitness standards at 50-60, they can dismiss me and keep ALL my pension until I'm 67. So the 40odd years of paying £400 a month into the scheme, they would keep! The Gov themselves had an independent review done that found it would be highly unlikely for FFs to carry out the duties or meet the fitness standards at age 60. They are now ignoring their own review!

 It's true that under my current scheme I retire at 50 having worked 30 years. They might seem early to many people, but it's because I pay in the 14% and accumulate enough money to be able to retire at an earlier age. Maybe its a small perk for working Christmas Days, family Birthdays, Weekends and Evenings, and New Years etc for the 30 years as well as putting the publics safety before my own.

This Government are obsessed with tearing the public sector apart, this is the start. Mark my words that in a few years there will be talk of privatising the Fire Brigade and other public services. A way for the Government to make money off people's misery.

Firefighters need support, please ignore the medias spin on the facts.

Firefighters DO NOT want to strike. But the Gov have us against the wall and are unwilling to listen to our concerns.

Its FBU's to Us.

We have  said if we had even a small fire we would prefer 

And when it comes to telling the truth about response times and incidents  we prefer 

Which is why  we support the Fire Brigades Union in the sterling work they do in regard to the Anti Cuts Agenda all over  the country, even though we concentrate our efforts in the West Yorkshire Region.   

Remember,  the Chief Fire Officer Simon Pilling was proven by 

his own data we FOI'd  to have never attended an incident in 2011 /12! 

We wrote about  it way back in December 2012  here   

We cant help but wonder if any members of the FBU who are operational can say that  they never attended an incident in an entire year (whilst getting a tax free fancy car ! )

Occasionally  we have felt like packing in and giving up, but we haven't; opposing  cuts in provision is on occasions like being a goldfish that is repeatedly thrown into a tank of piranhas.   

And WHY ?

Simple - because the FBU is 

Choose Life - choose an experienced fire fighters word and their operational experience over a spreadsheet jockeys word EVERY TIME 

To contact the FBU - please see our page 

HERE 

Why didn't our labour councillors have the guts ????

The Thought of Conservative Boris Johnson Fuming is Something we at FCCL All Relish. 

And yesterday in London, at a meeting of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA)   Labour, Liberal and Green formed a coalition which  overturned  the proposal to close 12 fire stations, remove 18 engines and slash 520 firefighter posts in London  in a vote 9-8. 

But Boris its seems will carry on regardless and ignore the decision and continue with the proposals. 

Paul Embery FBU regional secretary said 

“We welcome the decision of the fire authority to reject these reckless and dangerous cuts. It was the right outcome. But Boris Johnson’s intervention is deplorable. It is arrogant in the extreme for the mayor to think he knows better than his own fire authority.
“The mayor’s unprecedented move raises all sorts of questions about democracy and accountability. He should listen to his fire authority; he should listen to the workforce, and he should listen to Londoners, the vast majority of whom oppose these cuts. If he pushes ahead, we will campaign vigorously to defend London’s fire service.

West Yorkshires own  David Williams who attended,  remarked when giving feedback on  lessons learnt in West Yorkshires fight against cuts 

"All i have to say is that these cuts were by a Labour fire authority - shame on them"

FCCL  who have close links with the London campaign sent a message of solidarity to them in  November as our  friends and family were fighting the closure of New Cross Fire Station , you can read what we wrote HERE

As the local campaigns are starting to coalesce and start to gain significant momentum we do not doubt that here in West Yorkshire the councillors who constitute the Fire and Rescue Authority will at some point be called to account for their actions and votes on the 21st December 2012.

We enclose some links to information about the London decision starting with the  Fire Brigades Union . The  London Fire Brigade , the BBC , and  Socialist Party


And whilst browsing sites to write this blog we found this from the London Fire Brigade -

22 January 2013

London Fire Brigade said today it was called out on Friday night after an over-heated massage pillow caused a fire in a flat in Hornsey.

It’s thought the owners left their home to go on holiday shortly before Christmas, accidentally leaving the pillow switched on.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said:

“It’s unusual for a massage pillow to cause a fire, but it goes to show just how important it is to switch off electrical items if you’re leaving your home, or even just going to bed.

“The fire caused significant damage to the flat and it’s fortunate that no one was hurt.”

The smoke alarm inside the flat wasn’t working and it’s thought the fire was only discovered when a concierge in the building saw smoke coming out of the flat.

Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters attended the fire. The Brigade was called at 2142 and the fire was under control by 2206. Fire investigators were called to establish how the fire started.

Fortunate - we think is a word that will be much used in the days and years to come. 


And one day  

UNfortunately  


will feature ........

"unfortunately a crew didn't reach the property in time to rescue the people trapped inside"

REMEMBER - Keighley is due to lose a pump by the end of this  month, Haworth Parish Council  is researching how to run a service with volunteers; volunteers who will not be qualified to use the breathing apparatus necessary to enter a smoke and flame filled building. 

Just in case you are concerned we at FCCL  have ensured all massage cushions we might (or might not) own are all unplugged.

For advice on how to stay safe the West Yorkshire Fire site has some good advice, click HERE to access the site. 

We did  however cringe when we read 
"Ensure your electric heaters are properly maintained and in full working order" 


yup great advice if you have the money to do that, but many people in deprived areas don't! 

We also need to tell you of a video that has been doing the rounds of facebook and was added to the Yorkshire Evening Post website yesterday. We have emailed   Hannah Stoneman of WYFRS and she has confirmed that the video is not of West Yorkshire Fire Fighters -  BUT it has been removed by Johnston Press from their website - however it is available on you tube so check out our funnies page HERE

Simon has an FRU - a little transit van !

This morning in the Yorkshire Post we read with interest of fire crews in South Yorkshire refusing to staff Small Incident Units - the equivalent of Fire Response Units (FRUs)  in West Yorkshire. The full article can be read HERE

Which got us thinking about FRU's and as we were in a poetic mood, look what the FCCL team came up with 

( we thinks its rather ...........good.)

Simon has an FRU

A little transit van

He drives it round the streets of Leeds

Put fires out – IF he can!!!

An FRU is very small

With not a lot of kit

No substitute for propers crews

In fact it’s really..............  (insert word of choice)

What use are FRU’s to me ?

I hear you cry with glee

They keep attendance figures low

(the’re creeping up you see)

For little fires they aren’t so bad

But little fires grow

And when they are so well alight,
a proper crew must go.

Once Simon took his FRU

To Moortown. long ago

I spoke to people crewing it

They told me  tales of woe

“It cannot put out car fires”

“This red vans such a farce”

So Simon take your FRU

And drive it up your..............(again please insert word of choice)

We here at firecutscostlives think

An FRU is wrong

When fat cats up in Birkenshaw

Have done their sums “pete tong”

And one day soon, someone will die

And then we all will say

“We told you Simon, did you hear

What firefighters say ?”

Reducing front line services

In such a viscous way, 

no smoke alarm or FRU

Will change what we all say.................

FIRE CUTS COST LIVES

We have before mentioned a paper written by  the Fire Brigades Union called "It's about time" it was ages ago,  in an article of the same name available HERE   The paper its self has a very interesting item on FRU's in which it talks of one based in South Yorkshire. 

The full document is available Here but for speed we enclose an excerpt below

However today has not been all doom and gloom - we are hearing reports from Morley that over 2,000 people have signed the objection to Morley Station Closing. 

The information is on the Morley Independents blogsite which is just a click away so please click here for the Morley Independents Blogspot

And as  this page has in the main been full of positives - if you want to see something that is so bad it's good click  Here to see Blaze Bear in action decorating his Christmas Tree - the continuity is truly dire (watch the fireplace!) 

Never Give Up

NEVER GIVE UP 

is the FCCL motto (closely followed by  "Don't let the bastards grind you down" ) and this is  the message we would like to pass to our comrades in London who are battling the same as we are to save fire and rescue services from viscous and unnecessary cuts in provision.

Therefore we  would like to publicly send our support and solidarity to those who are fighting the closure of New Cross Fire Station in London. Seems they too are suffering from the fire authority preferring to do things behind closed doors  as this newspaper article demonstrates in the  East London Lines News


Paul Embery the FBU’s regional secretary for London  recently said .............

“The London Fire Brigade is a proud organisation with a fine history. But it is now facing possibly its greatest challenge. Its leaders must do the right thing and tell the politicians these cuts are wrong and dangerous. If they don’t do it, the FBU will.”

Does that sound familiar ---------  a little like  the West Yorkshire Brigade Secretary David Williams who was recently quoted  in The Guardian as saying............

"Firefighters are angry because these cuts will slow response times. Small fires will become big ones. In emergency situations every second counts, a few seconds delay can be the difference between saving a life or failing to save it"

So New Cross - your fight is OUR FIGHT  

because Fire Cuts Will Cost Lives. 

And to help you on your way we have sent you an email explaining how FCCL operates and how we run our very successful blog.  (which obviously we aren't going to publish but have sent to you separately)

And of course there are the mysterious coincidences of our campaigns .............. FCCL has Sam Hirst as one of its members - he is our photographer who took the picture on our front cover and also the ones we have sent to English Heritage for our application for Gipton  to be listed  AND Chloe Hirst his sister is based in London and is writing in East London Lines about the cuts in provision, and an example of her work can be seen  HERE

Then there is Eleanor Covell,  a student and resident of New Cross who is opposing the closure of New Cross who is the daughter  of our very own Sarah Covell. Seems it's a very small world indeed!

AND FINALLY 

And because its Saturday,  and probably  just because we have learnt how to do it .................here is the FCCL motto in jigsaw form.

Can you reassemble it to create our motto?
In less than 2 minutes ....................  ?

(and BossHooch using the autosolve is cheating)

Because in Less than 2 MINUTES - THIS CAN HAPPEN

MARCH & RALLY 3rd NOVEMBER 2012

Guest Speakers include Matt Wrack of the FBU. 

IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARY - NOVEMBER 3RD

WEST YORKSHIRE, FIRE BRIGADES UNION

ARE TO HOLD A MARCH AND RALLY TO PROTEST ABOUT THE CUTS IN PROVISION TO FIRE & RESCUE IN WEST YORKSHIRE.

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER  --------- LEEDS 

EXACT TIME AND ROUTE  DETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED SHORTLY

Plan B revealed - How to Save Gipton Fire Station

For many months now four of us have been working on  PLAN B.

(although many have indicated they much prefer plan C or should that be G   - but that's top secret and we will reveal it  in early December)

After the quite frankly appalling decision that  the West Yorkshire Fire Authority made  in December 2011 to close 10 fire stations and build 5 new ones, we (community activists Sarah Covell and Sam Hirst , retired firefighter  Andy Killingbeck, & FBU secretary  David Williams)  decided that something had to be done about it.

As we at FCCL are all Leeds based we targeted the old lady of the WYFRS estate 

GIPTON FIRE STATION.

Gipton today held a 75th Birthday Party - attended and indeed opened by the fire services chief hatchet man CFO Simon Pilling. And perhaps that party didn't start off exactly as he planned,  as early this morning the BBC slapped it all over the local front page of their website what we had done. We are so proud we wont stop smirking for a week.  We have  applied to English Heritage to have Gipton Fire Station listed as an historic asset.  See the article Here

In layman terms this means

FCCL  HAVE APPLIED TO HAVE GIPTON FIRE STATION GRADE 2 LISTED

This means several things .................

• She will have to remain basically intact and any alterations be approved by English Heritage and Leeds city council planners
• She will not be allowed to be demolished
• She will if sold need special permission for any planning consent

So  what does this mean for WYFRS?  - Well trying to sell a building with a potential  listing hanging over it will be "challenging"  and will without a doubt mean the price of her will be lower than previously anticipated. 

If we are successful  and she does get grade 2 status - what can you do with a 1930's fire station? 

 ....... keep her operational !!!!

London Fire and Rescue we discovered during our research actually value their old stations and sympathetically restore them whilst keeping them operational. They actually write papers in partnership with English Heritage on the subject of fire station restoration. Read the document HERE

We know as  Gipton is closer to the areas of high risk in the area than the proposed site of South Seacroft for the new station is  it  would make sense  (if WYFRS know the meaning of the word) to keep her open and plough the £££££'s   it will cost to buy the land and build  a station into renovating Gipton to a suitably high standard for the staff who work in her,  whilst retaining her historic value for the community.

We will be informing all our local councillors and MPs of our views and will strongly  urge them to support the listing application 

AND  keeping her operational. 

In the  supposed age of austerity why close a 

VERY HIGH RISK  _ LOW COST STATION 

and build a new one? 

If we are successful of course this will also  bring into consideration the stations at Stanks, Moortown and even Garforth and Hunslet   as the predicted response times etc will invariable change - we believe for the better of the people of  East Leeds.  

And below are a few pics of why we think she should be listed 

She has her original tiled walls and door frame that are not altered 

Her parquet floor upstairs is intact 

And her beautiful curvy appliance bay tiles are SO industrial art deco 

We will tell you more about Giptons history  later  on but for now raise a glass of whatever you fancy  and wish   

Gipton Fire Station a very happy 75th Birthday 

and a long and sustained operational life. 

IF THERE ARE CUTS - WILL PEOPLE DIE ?

IF THERE ARE CUTS - WILL PEOPLE DIE ?

Martyn Redfearn, Assistant Chief Fire Officer 

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue

 says 

Y E S

In July 2012 the Communities & Local Government Committee held a select committee  to discuss the funding of Fire & Rescue Services. (And at this point we need to say that we are discussing a transcript that non of the attendees have had an opportunity  to correct. We enclose a link to the full document further down this page.)

Below is an article taken from  October issue of Fire Fighter Magazine which is published nationally   by the Fire Brigades Union, in which the above select committee is discussed.  It's a pretty grim read and demonstrates that  many of the officers at the top tables of fire and rescue up and down the country have seriously lost the plot.

The full transcript of the select committee is available HERE    please take the time to read it.

And the BBC news coverage of Martyns "appearance" is here

IRRESPONSIBLE BEYOND BELIEF  ! 

 says David Williams of West Yorkshire FBU.