During the investigation into the Manchester Arena bombing, the GMFRS was severely criticized for its response on the night of the attack. Firefighters, including a specially trained team for such an event, stayed behind the scene for two hours.
Now all firefighters in the wider Manchester and London have agreed to respond to the Combat Terrorist Attacks (MTA) following a vote by members of the Fire Brigade – the only service in the UK to do so. Negotiations for other brigades continue. Until now, GMFRS firefighters have volunteered for special terror training. READ MORE: “We disappointed you” – sorry for the “sad response” of the fire department to the bombing in the Arena MTAs are incidents where firearms terrorists drive out of an area in order to find and kill or injure as many people as possible. If firefighters respond to an MTA incident, they may be asked to assist in evacuating the victims as well as extinguishing them. The agreements reached by the GMFRS and London will include the provision of appropriate training and equipment, including ballistic protection, including ballistic helmets and goggles. Firefighters will also receive a two percent salary increase. All firefighters in Greater Manchester will be trained to respond to terrorist attacks with firearms As a result of the attacks in Mumbai in 2008, the government approached the union to see if its members would be willing to expand the role of the service and the role of firefighter to engage in a new field of work – the MTA. The FBU stressed to the government the need for “safe working systems and adequate and adequate equipment”. In 2013, a resolution was adopted stating that the responses to the MTA were not “in the context of the role of fire and rescue personnel” and that participation was voluntary. The FBU wanted, among other things, an increase in firefighters’ salaries, nationally agreed guidance and protocols for working with other emergency services, adequate training and equipment, and confirmation that no firefighters would work in a “hot zone” in an MTFA incident. In 2019, a team of 60 GMFRS male firefighters specially trained to deal with terrorist attacks was disbanded after a six-year dispute between union bosses and brigades. This meant that if there was an attack, the area would depend in part on the support of a Merseyside-based team – more than 30 miles away. As a result of the conflict, the equipment used by the team – such as specialized vehicles and ballistic protection equipment – was removed from three stations. The Interior Ministry was informed that the area no longer had “MTFA (Terrorist Assault Attack) capability”. At the time, GMFRS bosses wanted all firefighters to have MTFA training and offered about 1.5 1,500 more in salaries to be part of their contract. The issue was raised in a report by the HM Fire and Rescue Inspector, who said “urgent” action was needed. In December last year, another government report stated that the GMFRS remained unprepared for a terrorist attack. However, the fire chief and the county deputy mayor reacted, insisting the service has the capacity to respond to a terrorist attack. GMFRS in action. His Majesty the Inspector of Police and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said in a report that while the GMFRS now has its own special response MTA (Marauding Terrorist Attack), they were concerned about its viability. The existing agreement was short-term and at the time of the inspection was to be exhausted. The service has made repeated attempts to resolve the issue locally. The report adds: “We are also concerned that the training of non-specialist firefighters on MTA has been suspended. This could affect the way firefighters work with other blue light correspondents. If they do not follow the same procedures, public safety could be put in jeopardy. ” The GMFRS has four “units” of firefighters trained for MTA, but their existence has been the subject of lengthy negotiations with the FBU. However, in April 2021, the GMFRS ‘”predatory terrorist attack” capability was repeated. The move was revealed in the Manchester Arena public investigation, which examined the response of the emergency services to the terrorist attack that left 22 people dead in May 2017. Upload video Video is not available Click to play Click to play The video will play automatically soon8Cancel Play now But today Matt Wrack, secretary general of the Fire Department, said: “Our members are going to work to save lives and they will want to do it wherever they can, no matter how horrible or threatening the circumstances. MTAs are a formidable prospect and any firefighter who can help as part of a well-organized response, where the risk is properly mitigated, would like to do so. “The agreements provide the framework and details for strong regulations that will protect the public and firefighters, consisting of appropriate training and equipment. They will mean that these are the only two fire and rescue services in the UK that have MTA-trained firefighters at every station in their area. It is right for the terms of the deal to recognize the increased risks and responsibilities of firefighters who are in dangerous situations. “The dedicated and professional approach taken by the Fire Department, the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the London Fire Department was the key to reaching this agreement. The FBU and the employers’ side of the National Joint Council wanted to reach a similar agreement across the UK base, but outside Scotland there were unspecified political obstacles to that goal. “Discussions continue in Scotland, where we hope that progress can be made soon. In a similar spirit, we hope that these two agreements will give impetus to reaching an agreement for the whole of the United Kingdom in the near future.” Read more related articles Read more related articles An FBU spokesman said they were “not free” to reveal how much each firefighter would receive as a result of the deal, but confirmed that they would receive a “pay rise”. GRMFRS Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said: “The signing of a collective agreement by the GMFRS and the Fire Brigade regarding our ability to respond to a terrorist attack or mass rescue is an important event for the workforce. our potential. and the communities we serve and represents the result of a period of intense positive and collaborative activity with the FBU. “We will now begin the delivery of training to all our business colleagues, which includes an all-day practical session with the participation of collaborating bodies. The safety of our colleagues is our priority and our firefighters receive the appropriate training, equipment and personal protective equipment to keep them safe and to ensure that our response is what the public would expect and should expect. “Over the next 12 months, we will equip every fire extinguisher in Greater Manchester with specialized equipment to support a timely and effective multi-service response to a terrorist attack or mass accident rescue operation.” Read more related articles Read more related articles
