The Editor,
The Western Morning News
Cornish Guardian
West Briton
The Cornishman

By email

Dear Editor

As the National General Secretary of the Retained Firefighters Union which has a significant membership not only in Cornwall but in the South west area, I am compelled to write giving my comments on the debate which is now running following the tragic loss of life at the Penhallow Hotel fire.

RFU members in Cornwall have been left demoralised and feeling undervalued at the comments in the media which have on occasions questioned both the ability and professionalism of retained personnel. We have also received calls from non members who are equally distressed by the comments which have been made. Many of these are both untrue and totally out of proportion.

For the record, the majority of fire cover in Cornwall is provided very successfully by these “paid volunteers” and speaking as someone who did the job which they do for 30 years, they deserve the public’s praise not criticism! I would also add that you would have to do the job they do in order to understand the commitment which is required and yes a greater part of the job is their goodwill which makes it work.

For the uninitiated try imagining every moment of your day as a retained firefighter which is controlled by an alerter, even when you are asleep! Your primary employment has to fit in with being on call; you rely on the support of your primary employer in accepting the importance of the job you do in allowing you to respond from work. Your family often suffers because when they want to go out you can’t because you’re on call. Why do it then you may ask, the answer lies in the community spirit which is a part of every retained firefighter’s make up.

There have been many comments apportioning blame, which when tragedy strikes will always be levelled at someone or at an organisation. I would have to question whether the placing of one permanently crewed appliance in Newquay would have been able to prevent the inferno which had developed, irrespective of whether it took three minutes or ten minutes for a crew to arrive. The failure of the second appliance to respond is an issue which highlights the need for further investment in the retained service in Cornwall, which will be a far more cost effective option.

In any case it can never be the sole responsibility of a fire crew to prevent tragedy and loss. Just as importantly, it is the prevention which takes place beforehand which determines what happens in the event of a fire. Compartmentation, fire detection and suppression systems especially in period buildings play a huge part in preventing rapid fire development and spread, and provide vital time to evacuate.

The incident at the Penhallow is under investigation by professional forensic experts and we all await their findings, not only in the hope that it provides some consolation for the bereaved but to establish the cause and any lessons which can be learned from it. Until then there will continue to be speculation, but amidst that speculation, please do not demonise the community spirit of these willing “paid volunteers” whose skills, up until the night of the tragedy, were never doubted, nor should they be.

Yours sincerely

John Barton
National General Secretary