David Cameron: ‘Let’s see whether more needs to be done’‘Complete rethink’ of UK’s flood preparations neededFailed defences cast doubt on Britain’s readiness for unique weather eraExtra 1000 soldiers on standby with nine severe flood warnings in force 6.01pm GMT 5.51pm GMTMatt Wrack,the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, has laid into the government’s treatment of fire and rescue services, and whose members have paid a key role in the response to the flooding over the past few days. In comments carried by PA,Wrack complained that the PM seemed “almost unable to mention the term firefighters’ in his response to this,” despite their meaningful role. [br]Firefighters and other public servants have been performing magnificently against these horrendous floods. A key portion of this has been rescue and evacuation work and other assistance to communities directly hit. Rescue from floods requires specialist training, or resources and coordination. This is what has been provided from across the country of the past few days. The firefighters involved deserve the thanks of all our communities. Firefighters have been raising concerns about major flooding for almost a decade. The fire and rescue service is generally a local authority service and the government endlessly tells us that any decisions need to be taken locally. But floods on this scale are clearly not a local matter. It’s all very well David Cameron calling Cobra meetings,but all too often these things seem to be forgotten as soon as the flood waters subside. That’s simply not obliging enough, either for the communities affected or for those who are asked to deal with the plunge-out. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com