'Explosion failings due to under-investment', union

Ten residents died after the explosion at a block of flats in St Helier in 2022

Failings the night before a fatal explosion at a block of flats in Jersey were likely due to "years of under-investment and limited capacity" in the island's fire service, a trade union has said.

In a letter, the Fire and Rescue Service Association (FRSA), which represents the safety of Jersey firefighters, said "for too long, government has not adequately invested" in the service.

FRSA president Tim Le Cocq claimed this had failed to create an environment that "appropriately considers the risk to staff, islanders and visitors".

He said the States Employment Board's (SEB) guilty pleas to health and safety charges in relation to the 2022 explosion showed this had "consequences".

In September, the SEB - which employs the island's public servants - admitted failing to protect the safety of its workers and the public the night before the explosion at the Haut du Mont block of flats in St Helier, in which 10 residents died.

The charges related to failings by the emergency control room and the fire service - including a failure to triage calls effectively, inadequate supervision of call handlers and the absence of policies for dealing with and attending to gas-related calls.

'It must come first'

On Wednesday, Mr Le Cocq's letter to the home affairs scrutiny panel reviewing budget plans said "the events which led to the spotlight being shone on these specific failings were tragic".

He expressed concern that "further tragedy cannot be repeated" in order for there to be progress in the way the fire service prepares and responds to events.

"It must come first and as a priority," he said.

Although he accepted that this work takes time, Mr Le Cocq said: "While it remains outstanding, it creates further risk not only directly to firefighters and islanders, but also to the States Employment Board."

He highlighted that recommendations from phase one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry have not yet been introduced in Jersey.

He said, combined with investment in the emergency services control centre, these recommendations could "provide safe systems of work in which firefighters can operate within an assessed risk to save life in a safe and effective manner".

The FRSA president also said the government needs to invest in updating firefighters' personal protective equipment (PPE), to reduce their risk of exposure to carcinogens.

He added that firefighters should have access to health screening.