Storm Claudia stretching firefighters to the limit, union warns

Firefighters are being stretched to the limit as Storm Claudia triggers major flooding and widespread disruption, their union warned on Sunday.

The Fire Brigades Union highlighted the “immense pressure” on fire and rescue services because of severe flooding in parts of Wales and England.

The FBU said the service had suffered years of cuts and reduced fire appliance availability, leaving firefighters under “increasing strain” during major weather events.

Steve Wright, FBU general secretary, said: “Firefighters in Wales and England have been working tirelessly through the night and into today to deal with severe flooding and protect communities affected by Storm Claudia.

“The scale of the response in Monmouth and elsewhere shows once again just how vital our service is when disasters hit.

“But it is also clear that services are under huge strain. Our reps are reporting exceptionally busy workloads, made more difficult by the simple reality that there are fewer firefighters and fewer appliances available than there should be.”