Greater Manchester fire crews will NOT adopt 'dangerous' new national policy

Greater Manchester fire crews will not adopt a new breathing apparatus policy recommmended for fighting blazes in tower blocks.

In high-rise fires, the Fire Brigade establishes a ‘bridgehead’ in a safe position within the building. Before proceeding towards the fire, firefighters undertake a series of checks and activate their Breathing Apparatus (BA) at that location. But under proposals from the National Fire Chiefs Council, they would be instructed to proceed without activating it.

Union bosses have slammed the policy as "dangerous and irresponsible". The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says it would put firefighters at risk of being overwhelmed by smoke or other hazards before they could put on their breathing apparatus, and would mean increased exposure to toxic fire contaminants.

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And today, the FBU has welcomed moves by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to investigate the new beathing apparatus policy, which it has branded as “one of the biggest threats to firefighters’ health and safety in decades”.

Fire authorities Manchester London, and Birmingham and have already said that they will not implement the policy, but others have indicated that they will push ahead.

The FBU wrote to the HSE in May 2022 to complain about the policy, who said intially that the issue did not fall within their remit. However, it has now said it will be investigating the new Breathing Apparatus policy.

In the meantime, the FBU has issued advice to its members not to put themselves in danger by going beyond the bridgehead without activated BA.

Ben Selby, FBU's Assistant General Secretary, said: “We welcome the fact that the Health and Safety Executive has seen