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Firefighters in Europe want more money and staff

Firefighters claim they are understaffed

Wildfires and house fires are on the increase

EU launches Preparedness Strategy

By Beatrice Tridimas

Fire services are under pressure across Europe due to wildfires fueled by hotter and drier conditions, as well as household fires that are, according to unions, sometimes caused by non-certified solar installations.

The firefighters want to see more funding and incentives for the many millions of volunteers that support the system.

Pablo Sanchez, the policy lead of the European Federation of Public Service Unions' Firefighter's Network EPSU (EPSU), said: "We have over 1,000 volunteer hours per year."

"They treat volunteers as if they were professionals." He said that the system was not sustainable over time.

The EPSU released a new analysis ahead of International Firefighters' Day, May 4, which showed that the number of professional firefighters in Europe dropped dramatically between 2021-2023.

The number of firefighter in Sweden, Romania, and Hungary has declined two years running, and by a total of more than 20%, between 2021-2023. Germany experienced a 7% drop in numbers, year on year.

The number of firefighters in Belgium and Portugal decreased by 5% and 2 % respectively, even though both countries saw a slight increase in their numbers between 2022-2023.

Sanchez said that in some countries the decline was due to cuts to public service, while others struggled to replace their staff because the profession had become less popular.

Stephan Wevers, President of the Federation of European Fire Officers FEU said that recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters was getting more difficult because training is becoming tougher and there's a new balance between work and life.

He said, "We need to be more proactive to recruit new firefighters."

Installations of Megafires and Shodys

The share of government expenditure on fire services in total expenditure across the EU has remained roughly unchanged since 2001, at around 0.5%. This is despite an increase in demand.

The EPSU warns that the EPSU's revised fiscal rules for the European Union to prevent excessive borrowing by governments, which entered into force in 2013, will force member states to cut back. They also warned that the public sector would be the hardest hit, further undermining the emergency response.

According to EU statistics, in 2024 the number of fires in Europe will be slightly lower than the recent average, but the area burned will be higher.

Since 2023, when wildfires were at their worst in Europe, unions have called for increased investment in equipment and personnel.

The fire services of 12 EU countries shrank between 2022-2023, even though the number of firefighters in the EU increased.

In 2023, more than 360,000 firefighters will serve Europe after a drop of 2,800 between 2021-2022.

The EPSU also calls for mandatory decontamination procedures and upgraded protective equipment across all services.

DWINDLING VOLUNTEERS

As people's commitments to work and leisure have changed, volunteering has declined in popularity. Wevers said that training is becoming more intensive in response to the increasingly complex nature of fire incidents. This requires greater commitment from volunteer firefighters.

He added that the EU's legislation needs to be changed in order to attract more volunteers.

The European Parliament wants firefighters exempted under the Working Time Directive, which sets minimum standards of health and safety for working hours. This has affected the ability of volunteers to balance paid employment with voluntary commitments.

In May, lawmakers and union representatives are expected to attend a hearing about the impact of the directive on firefighters and the other challenges they face.

More firefighters isn't the answer.

According to reports from the European Environment Agency (EEA), the World Bank, and independent advisors, EU policies and financing need to be boosted to increase the EU's resilience and prevention of climate change.

In March, the EU launched a new preparedness strategy that focuses on education, early warnings, risk assessments, and coordination of EU-wide responses. This includes uniting civil protection units like firefighters.

Wevers said that the FEU wants member states to improve nature management in high-risk zones and to restrict building.

(source: Reuters)