As a wildfire rages in the High Fens and forest fires spread across Europe, the head of Belgium’s Royal Federation of Firefighters, Marc Gilbert, is calling for a European fleet of firefighting aircraft that member states could deploy during major blazes.
Gilbert said individual countries could not afford to buy enough aircraft and equipment on their own, and urged the EU to build a shared fleet. He said Belgium’s two police helicopters were helpful, but far from sufficient, and warned that rapid action was needed.
His call was echoed by the CSC Public Services union, which is also demanding additional funding for fire services. The union said cooperation between emergency services should not become a permanent substitute for properly funding each of them.
Gilbert also raised concerns about staffing, saying Belgium has about 6,000 professional firefighters compared with 12,500 volunteers. He argued that this balance should be reversed, with two-thirds professionals and one-third volunteers.
He praised the commitment of volunteer firefighters, many of whom juggle their emergency duties with another job. But he warned that employers may increasingly view the role as a burden because they continue paying staff who have to leave work to respond to incidents.
Gilbert also questioned how farmers who have been mobilised in the High Fens will be compensated, saying they should be treated in the same way as volunteer firefighters. While their hours may go unpaid, he said any equipment damaged during the operation should be reimbursed, adding that without their help the situation would be far worse.
