Safety fears for fire control staff

FIRE service staff in south Wales are sleeping in cars between excessive night shifts and have compared trying to run the control room to a Wetherspoon pub on a match day.

- CHRIS HAINES

The damning findings were revealed in a report by Dan Stephens, Wales' chief fire inspector, in response to the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster in which 72 lives were lost.

His report criticised housing south Wales services in a shared police facility, with staff feeling like guests and struggling to hear emergency callers over the noise of police dispatchers

Mr Stephens warned 13.5-hour night shifts at the Bridgend headquarters breached safety guidance, leaving critical staff at risk of fatigue while handling lifesaving calls.

The report follows inspections of the joint fire control services for south mid and west Wales and the separate north Wales service in St Asaph between September and October 2025. Both fire control services are located within police facilities.