Fire crews to get bullet proof vests in Greater Manchester and London

Dave Russel says securing ballistic gear and training has been a "key priority" since he joined Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in 2020

Firefighters in Greater Manchester and London will be given bullet proof vests, first aid equipment and training on how to deal with terrorist attacks.

The move follows a successful ballot of Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members.

Greater Manchester's chief fire officer Dave Russel said crews would be better able to deal with future attacks, with more lives potentially being saved.

His service was criticised for its slow response to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing in which 22 people were killed.

Fire crews took two hours to attend the scene of the suicide bombing and a report by HM Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue Services in December found it remained unprepared to respond effectively to another attack.

Both London and Manchester have been hit by deadly terrorist attacks in recent years.

'Mass casualty incident'

Mr Russel said securing the ballistic protective equipment and training for a terrorist attack had been a "key priority" since he joined the service in 2020.

"Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) continues to reflect upon and learn from the evidence presented to the ongoing Manchester Arena Inquiry," he said.

"We believe [it] is an important step towards further improving our response, should a tragedy like the arena bombing ever occur again.

"This means we can now move forward to ensure all firefighters and officers have the correct training and equipment to respond to a marauding terrorist attack or other mass casualty incident.

"This will not only greatly improve GMFRS personnel's own safety but, crucially, mean we can use all our available resources to save more lives as and when these incidents occur."

He said the result of the FBU ballot would "vastly increase the speed" at which the service can get qualified and trained members of staff to an incident and, importantly, to be able to deploy firefighters.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service was criticised for a delay of two hours in attending the May 2017 arena blast scene

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the deal would "ensure firefighters attending a marauding terror attack are trained for the situation they find themselves in and have the correct personal protective equipment to keep them safe".

Assistant Commissioner for Operational Resilience and Control at London Fire Brigade, Pat Goulbourne, said the move would "further improve our response to terror incidents when they occur and increase the safety of members of the public, which is at the heart of what we do".

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