FAILINGS in the hours leading up to the Haut du Mont explosion – which killed ten Islanders – could be linked to “years of under-investment and limited capacity”, according to the organisation representing Jersey’s firefighters.
States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Association president Tim Le Cocq accused the government of neglecting the safety of both firefighters and the public in a strongly worded letter to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel.
He wrote: “For too long, government has not adequately invested in the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service to provide an environment that appropriately considers the risk to staff, Islanders and visitors.”
Mr Le Cocq accepted that meaningful change “takes time”, but warned that ongoing delays create “further risk” to firefighters, Islanders, and the States Employment Board.
As the government body responsible for employing public servants, the States Employment Board pleaded guilty at the end of September to endangering the lives of its own workers as well as individuals not in its employment.
The two health and safety offences related to the response of the Emergency Services Control Centre and the Fire and Rescue Service in the hours before the blast in the early hours of 10 December 2022.
This included the failure to appropriately triage calls, inadequate supervision of emergency control room controllers, inadequate training, and the absence of policy in relation to dealing with gas-related calls.
Alleged failings of the Fire and Rescue Service included an absence of local policy when attending gas calls, and using devices to detect gas which were not nationally compliant.
Mr Le Cocq said these issues “could very likely be traced back to years of under-investment and limited capacity”.
He explained: “The events which led to the spotlight being shone on these specific failings were tragic, and our thoughts remain with all those affected by the Haut du Mont incident, however the Fire and Rescue Service is concerned that further tragedy cannot be repeated to elicit progress in effective preparation and response, it must come first and as a priority.”
Mr Le Cocq “welcomed” increased funding in previous government budgets, but noted that some safety recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry have yet to be put in place locally. Implementing these, together with investment in the control centre, would “provide safe systems of work in which firefighters can operate within an assessed risk to save life in a safe and effective manner”, he added.
The States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service Association president also highlighted the ongoing risks faced by frontline firefighters, including exposure to carcinogens through degraded protective equipment.
Mr Le Cocq urged the government to invest in both personal protective equipment and health screening for firefighters, as recommended by an independent panel of scientists investigating the impact of PFAS in Jersey.
Shortly after the September court hearing, SEB Vice Chair Deputy Malcolm Ferey said that the Fire and Rescue Service and Emergency Services Control Centre were “committed to strengthening arrangements in the areas identified by the Health and Safety Inspectorate’s thorough investigation”.
“This includes training and supervision, policies and processes, and equipment use, particularly when dealing with risks related to the smell of gas,” he continued.
“The safety of our Island community is paramount, and we will continue to reduce risk, strengthen processes, and make improvements based on our learnings from this incident and others.
“While we cannot comment further until the legal process has concluded, my sincere thoughts and prayers remain with the families, friends and all those who have been affected by this unprecedented and tragic event.”
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham added that the government is “determined to learn all possible lessons from the Health and Safety Inspectorate investigation” and that Ministers are “committed to ensuring that every practical step is taken so that a tragedy of this nature can never happen again”.
