Firefighter deaths. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned that failures to learn from past fatalities are putting firefighters at increased risk of serious injury or death. The warning comes several months after the University of Stirling published research commissioned by the FBU that showed 14 firefighters were killed at fires between 2004/05 and 2013/14; in the previous 11 years, the toll was six. The union's general secretary, Matt Wrack, said that although firefighters deal with dangerous situations, "there is no excuse for employers not to do everything possible to safeguard their staff". FBU investigations have found that "similar errors lie behind a number of firefighter deaths at fires and other emergency incidents. This suggests that lessons are not being learned or applied by employers." In January, the Stirling report called for greater oversight of fire and rescue services. Professor Andrew Watterson, who wrote the report, said: "Many risks are avoidable as fatal incident enquiries have shown if appropriate management and systems, inspection and regulation, training and other related matters are in place."
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