26/07/2026
🚒 Chronische onderbezetting en besparingen brengen niet alleen het personeel, maar ook de veiligheid van de bevolking in gevaar. Intussen raakt het personeel op: de fysieke en mentale impact van de hoge werkdruk is niet te onderschatten.
Het is tijd om te investeren in mensen, niet verder te besparen.
Besparingen kosten levens!
Europe is burning. Again.
Weeks ago, thousands of public service workers across Europe warned that we are facing a .
Governments didn't listen.
Now, firefighters, forest agents, emergency workers and other public service workers are once again on the frontline.
🇫🇷 France: More than 60,000 people have been evacuated as wildfires rage across the south. Two firefighters have lost their lives in a fire near Bordeaux airport.
🇪🇸 Spain: A national emergency has been declared, with around 20,000 people evacuated near Madrid and more than 60 active wildfires. Earlier this month, 13 people died in a devastating wildfire in Almería. Forest firefighters warn they are working to the limit, facing staff shortages, extreme temperatures and exhausting shifts.
🇮🇹 Italy: In Sicily, thousands of emergency responders have been mobilised to fight hundreds of fires. Firefighter Alessandro Marchi lost his life while responding to a blaze in San Cataldo.
🇧🇪 Belgium: In Brussels, firefighters are taking industrial action, warning that chronic understaffing and budget cuts are putting both workers and the public at risk.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Firefighters are battling major wildfires across several regions, including Gwynedd, Torfaen, Powys, the Cairngorms, Edinburgh and the Isle of Wight.
This is becoming Europe's summer routine.
Last year, EPSU met with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib to discuss preparedness and wildfires. We called for:
▪️Investment in firefighting and emergency services.
▪️A real European strategy for climate resilience and civil protection.
▪️An end to austerity.
A year later, Europe is burning again.
Every year, more forests burn, more homes are destroyed, more people die, and firefighters and emergency workers risk their lives more.
How many more lives must be lost before governments act?
We are calling on the European Commission to develop a comprehensive strategy for civil protection and climate emergencies.
