"It is concerning that there is too much variation in how fire and rescue services operate, resulting in a postcode lottery in the standards of service the public receives," said Zoe Billingham, HM Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services, speaking about the second tranche of 16 FRS inspections. The headline was that most fire and rescue services are good at responding to emergencies, but there is too much variation in how well the public are protected. It is a contention that the Fire Brigades Union has long maintained in its stance of rejecting the inconsistency and local variations of integrated risk management plans in favour of national standards of fire cover. At this year's FBU conference, members voted in favour of a motion stating that in the event of a Labour government the union would demand the implementation of UK-wide standards and structures, including minimum response times and a commitment to five firefighters on every fire engine.
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