Received here at STUKFS... Firstly I would like to thank STUKFS for providing an opportunity for us to all break the state controlled media blackout and try to dispell many of the myths and lies. Secondly I would like to praise all of you that have worked hard and sacrificed so much for such a long time in order to stand together, challenge injustice and protect what was hard fought and won for us all years ago. It also important to remember that our fight is not a selfish one, and that this action also seeks to protect the level and standard of service that the Public rightly deserve and pay for. I write and have asked for this to be posted on the outside chance that MPs, members of the press or other interested parties take the time to research our dispute prior to the debate on Monday. To those who do not yet understand. There is a wealth of evidence that supports Firefighters concerns, some of it complex and very detailed. I will try and give a very simplistic view of it. Many years ago new recruits were actively encouraged to join a pension scheme. They did so knowing that as their career choice was a demanding and physical one they were unlkely to be able to continue much past their mid 50s. I certainly did not start my career 20 years ago thinking.......I know.......I will pay a significant amount of my take home pay into a pension, so I can retire early because of desperate desire to become a window cleaner, gardener or taxi driver (No disrespect intended as all are worthy careers) Decades later our Government informs us that they are going to renage on our written contract and change the terms. On top of that they want to introduce a fitness test that evidence suggests approximatey 60% of us will be unable to pass because of our age. As a result many of us face a prospect of being unable to complete our careers, risk then loosing a massive percentage of our pension and then we will have to become, window cleaners, gardeners, taxi drivers or any other profession to pay our bills. Now let me put fitness into context for any one reading this who is unfamilar with a Firefighters work environment. There are countless physical careers where people work to and past 60, Builders, Carpenters, Engineers, Farmers, Warehouse Staff, Refuse Collectors, Carers the list is endless. Again all are worthy careers and Firefighters are no more or less important than any of them. That said lets compare work environments. A young fit firefighter on his/her first day on the job will be expected to be able to perform at the same level approximately 40 years later. A Firefighters ultimate work environment is a Fire Compartment. What qualifies me to say this, well I am an experienced and qualified Breathing Apparatus and Compartment Fire Behaviour Instructor. I am also a fully operational Wholetime Firefighter. I have lit, monitored and extinguished more fires than I care to remember. I am well aware (and if you have any opinion on this dispute you should too) just how extreme these environments are. Up and down the country often a single appliance will arrive first at a building fire. This is a firefighters ultimate working environment. 2 Firefighters will get a brief, start up thier BA Sets and enter a building they have never seen before in their lives. When they enter the smoke layer will stop them seeing anything, forcing them to rely on touch to navigate their way in and out. The heat will be anything up to 600 degrees C........thats just a number isnt it, so when you sit down to your Sunday Roast remember, it will have been cooked at about 180-200 degrees C. At 609 degrees C, Carbon Monoxide will reach its Auto Ignition temperature and that smoke will become a wall flame. At this point that compartment (room) will be consumed by fire, it is not a survivable environment. This is what Firefighters call a Flashover. This along with fire phenomen such as Backdraught and Ultra Rapid Fire Development kill countless firefighters around the world. Those 2 Firefighters cannot take it easy because they are tired, they cannot take a break half way through the job nor can they split up while one has a break. A fire is relentless, it is a complex chemical reaction that will try and consume anything and everything in its path. It does not recognise age, gender or ethnicity. Those firefighters are operating in an alien world to most, where the fire holds most of the aces, and their very survival will depend on their equipment, skill, ability, experience, fitness and little bit of luck. Firefighters can survive for a limited time in these environments because of their Personal Protective Equipment such as Fire-kit and Breathing Apparatus. However this equipment comes with its limitations. The human body has evolved to maintain a core body temperature of 37 Degrees C. Any increase in temperature will bring about heat stress which can lead to heat syncope (faint) or stroke. Be under no illusion a fire compartment is the last place you would want to faint in. Our bodies maintain this delicate balance by shedding heat by various mechanisms such as sweating and breathing. Unfortunately Firefighters protective equipment make these mechanisms somewhat redundant, so you simply get hotter quicker. As this happens it can severely affect an individuals cognitive and physical ability. I am in my Fourties and have passed my fitness test with ease, but even so I can find the physical demands of a real fire environment extremely difficult. Will I as others be able to do this in 20 years time, who knows. Now ask yourself honestly, after what I have described is the expectation of a 60 year old Firefighter being able to safely perform at exactly the same level as the day they started their career a realistic one. Obviously this is imperative as a fire does not become any less aggressive, dangerous or deadly as the years psss by. If like thousands of my colleagues you believe the answer is no, then I implore you to do everything you can to help our cause, not just for our safety but for our communities too. STUKFS The truth is out there.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 09:48:47 +0000
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