UPDATED EVERY THURSDAY
Thursday February 27th 2003
All content © New Journal Enterprises, 2003.
 
 
 
 
 
 
NEWS   BY ANDREW WALKER

Standing firm: Firefighters Mark Brattigan, Brian Flannagan, Gordon Winn, Barry Wright, Paul Phelan, Syd Platt and Gerry Manning at Kentish Town station
Fire cover cut back
on day of fatal blaze
HALF the fire engines at Kentish Town fire station were out of operation for three hours because of “unofficial industrial action” on the day a pensioner was killed in a fire in Camden Town.

And a shortage of firefighters has brought Camden stations to a standstill with engines out of operation for hours.

Since the industrial action over pay, firefighters have stopped “acting up”, a practice where regular firefighters fill vacant officer posts temporarily so that engines can be operated.

Leading fireman Syd Platt, who has been acting sub-officer for 14 years, said: “Lots of people have lost their enthusiasm for the job. We are no longer happy to take the extra responsibility for no extra pay.”
Fire Brigade Commissioner Brian Robinson has sent letters to all firemen threatening wage stoppages for officers failing to provide community safety.

But the problems were the fault of bad management, said Mr Platt, who stood as the Socialist Alliance candidate in Thursday’s Haverstock by-election. He added: “This is all to do with the fact that our senior management didn’t back us during the strike.”

Firefighters were “livid” at the way they’d been treated.
In a letter sent to all firefighters – seen by the New Journal – London Commissioner Robinson said the action risked damaging the reputation of the fire service, and was “in breach of contract”. It could result in a stoppage of pay or even dismissal.

But Bill Carruthers, station commander at Euston and Fire Brigades’ Union representative, said Mr Robinson, who took a £20,000 pay rise during strike action, was on “dodgy” ground”. He said: “It’s up to managers to make sure there are enough officers to keep a station running. You can’t force a firefighter to act up.”

One of Kentish Town’s two fire engines was out of service for a total of 45 hours this month. On Wednesday evening a pensioner died when his Camden Road flat was gutted by fire. That morning, Kentish Town’s pump engine was out for two hours, until a sub officer could be found from another station. But both fire engines were operational when another pensioner died in a blaze in Highgate Road on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for the Fire Brigade Commissioner said: “This letter was sent to ensure staff are fully informed and aware of their contractual position. We have maintained fire cover for the capital at all times.”