In response to a campaign by trade unions, the European Commission has today told member states to ensure their fire services are adequately staffed to deal with rising climate threats.

The Commission’s wildfire risk management strategy calls on member states “to collect relevant data on firefighting staff and assess potential needs, taking due account of the seasonal nature of firefighting activities, with a view to ensuring the availability of an appropriately sized and well-prepared workforce.”

The call comes after the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Public Services Union (EPSU) have raised for three consecutive years how firefighter numbers are not adequate to deal with the rising risk of wildfires.

Cuts

That includes cuts to firefighter numbers in countries that are among the most at risk. Portugal was among the countries that oversaw a drop in staff numbers (-6%) in 2024, a year when fire damage dramatically increased (+43% of burnt area).

In a letter to the Commission, the ETUC and EPSU said it must “impress upon member states the importance of ensuring that our fire services have the staff and resources they need in order to tackle the growing threat posed by climate change.”

The Commission must in turn ensure its fiscal rules do not put member states under pressure to reduce spending on public services. In 2024, Belgium reduced its number of firefighters by 10%. In the same year, the Commission pushed Belgium towards further austerity measures through an Excessive Deficit Procedure.

ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said:

“There has been no better demonstration of the dangerously shortsighted nature of austerity policies than the cuts made to our fire services at a time when the risks of extreme weather events is rising due to climate change.

“We are pleased that the warnings made by working people and their trade unions have finally been heeded. We now urgently need to see the necessary investment in our fire services to deal with what is set to be another extremely hot year and put an end to woeful understaffing.

“We do not accept however that firefighting is ‘seasonal’. We need a well-staffed service year round for the prevention work that is key to protecting communities and the environment.

“Having issued this guidance, the European Commission must play its part by ensuring that it does not force austerity measures on member states that put pressure on public services.”

EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan said:

“It is positive that the European Commission recognises the need to closely monitor staffing levels in fire services following the pressure we’ve been putting for years. But collecting data alone will not put out fires. The lack of concrete measures to address chronic understaffing is disappointing.

“Across Europe, firefighters are being asked to respond to growing and more complex risks, from wildfires and floods to industrial accidents, while staffing levels are not keeping the pace. Technology and equipment are important, but without more staff, better training and higher pay, they will not be enough.

“The next step must be a comprehensive European strategy for firefighters and emergency services, with numeric targets on staffing, training and operational capacity.”

Notes

As firefighting was recognised as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization in 2022, EPSU is organising a day of action on 4 May International Firefighters’ Day, to demand presumptive legislation at both European and national levels.

Source: ETUC