"The working conditions of firefighters in Italy are dramatic." This is the complaint made by Vincenzo Zazzaro, regional coordinator of the Fire Brigade (FP-CGIL). Zazzaro highlights an alarming picture: the Corps has been chronically understaffed for years, forcing workers to work grueling shifts, especially during the summer, with extraordinary recalls and forced returns.
To make matters worse, the Fire fighters They are not covered by INAIL insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. The forecasts for 2030 are even more worrying: with expected retirements, the staff shortage will be such that there will be a risk of not covering the entire national territory, perhaps limited to metropolitan cities.
The consequences of increasingly extreme weather phenomena, with heat in the south and severe weather in the north, the upcoming G7 summit, the start of contracted services, the forest firefighting campaign, and the bradyseism phenomenon affecting the Phlegraean Fields are just some of the situations we face daily, not to mention emergency interventions. Zazzaro declared.
Added to these challenges are the services of rural and aquatic facilities and two training courses still underway for approximately 1300 aspiring team leader candidates.
It might interest you
"Our fleet is inefficient due to a lack of funds for maintenance and loading. Service locations are inadequate compared to expected standards." Zazzaro continues. Furthermore, the staff contract has expired, the professional regulations are obsolete, and the administration fails to respect proper labor relations, disrespectfully shifting the responsibility for rescue operations onto the Corps personnel.
"They, by nature, lend themselves to the good of the citizens at every opportunity, demonstrating great professionalism." Currently, the Fire Department operates with 4000 operational units and 2500 administrative units less than necessary, resulting in often unacceptable work overloads. The use of overtime has become the norm.
"The union has been denouncing the critical issues related to emergency technical assistance and excessive workloads for years. Despite this, the women and men working in the field receive undignified treatment. For this reason, we will monitor and, if necessary, call on staff to support the protests." concludes Zazzaro.
