Fire Brigades Union

What Fire Brigades Union does

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is the UK's largest specialist trade union for firefighters, founded on 1 October 1918 as the Firemen's Trade Union (FTU) and renamed in 1930. Headquartered in London, it represents approximately 34,000 members at its 2018 centenary across the UK fire and rescue service, including whole-time firefighters, retained (on-call) firefighters, fire control staff, and fire service officers. The union is funded primarily through member subscriptions, supplemented by proceeds from the Firefighters 100 Lottery and official FBU merchandise sales, and operates as a democratic membership organisation with an annual conference as its supreme decision-making body, an Executive Council, and 13 regional/national structures.

The FBU delivers representation and advocacy across pay negotiations, pensions, health and safety, disciplinary matters, and industrial action, alongside an in-house education programme, legal services through partner Thompson's Solicitors, an accident and injury fund handling over £600,000 in claims annually, and a mental health research programme. Its technology stack is straightforward: a Drupal-based public website, a members portal (members.fbu.org.uk), and the FBU mobile app. The union's most distinctive data asset is the UK Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry, administered by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) since 2019 and funded by the Firefighters 100 Lottery, which has surveyed over 10,000 serving firefighters and underpins the DECON campaign on fire contaminants and occupational cancer. Active campaigns include Cuts Kill (opposing fire service austerity), DECON, Grenfell: Never Again, Breathing Apparatus Safety, Equality Matters, and Pay Reform.

Recent strategic activity in 2026 has centred on defensive wins: defeating proposed cuts in Oxfordshire, securing a 3.8% pay settlement, agreeing an RDS pension settlement, and commissioning an independent review of racism in the union's governance. The FBU is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress and participates in international public-sector union bodies (PSI, EPSU) plus solidarity campaigns. It has no parent company, no external investors, and does not publish financial results; revenue, subscription rates, and post-2018 membership figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Fire Brigades Union

Legal name

Fire Brigades Union

Website

https://www.fbu.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Fire Brigades Union is the UK's largest specialist trade union for firefighters, representing approximately 34,000 members across whole-time, retained, and control staff in the UK fire and rescue service. Founded in 1918 and headquartered in London, it delivers pay negotiation, legal support, pensions advocacy, and occupational health campaigns including the UCLan cancer registry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Union Services

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393), Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (813930)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

Keywords

• Trade union services
• Firefighter representation
• Workplace advocacy
• Member benefits
• Labor representation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: The FBU is funded primarily through membership subscriptions paid by firefighters, fire control staff, and retained firefighters. Subscriptions fund the union's campaigns, legal services, education programmes, accident and injury fund, and political work.
2. Firefighters 100 Lottery: A weekly online lottery created to support firefighters, their bereaved families, and to honour the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed in the line of duty. Proceeds fund the UK Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry.
3. Official FBU merchandise (shop): The union operates an online shop selling official FBU merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Fire Brigades Union is a democratic trade union that provides workplace representation, advocacy, legal support, education, and member benefits to firefighters, fire control staff, and retained firefighters across all UK fire and rescue services. Its core activities include negotiating on pay, pensions, and conditions; running campaigns on health and safety, equality, and service funding; delivering trade union education; operating an accident and injury fund; and publishing news, magazines, and circulars to members.

Product overview

The Fire Brigades Union offers a unified suite of member services centered around advocacy, representation, and support for firefighters across the UK. The core offering includes the FBU App for mobile access to union news and resources, the Firefighter Magazine publication, and various campaigns addressing health and safety (DECON, Breathing Apparatus Safety), service funding (Cuts Kill), equality (Equality Matters), justice (Grenfell: Never Again), and compensation (Pay Reform, Mental Health Support). Member benefits include the Firefighters 100 Lottery, Legal Services through Thompson's Solicitors, Pensions Advisory, and the Accident and Injury Fund. The Education & Training Programme provides trade union education for workplace representatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FBU App: Mobile application providing latest FBU news and support for members
• Firefighters 100 Lottery
• Firefighter Magazine
• Fire Brigades Union Solidarity Medal
• DECON

Products and services

• FBU App Mobile application providing the latest FBU news and support resources at firefighters' fingertips, including access to news, campaigns, and union information.
• Firefighter Magazine Official publication of the Fire Brigades Union featuring news, analysis, member stories, campaigns, and updates from across the UK fire service, with archive access.
• Firefighters 100 Lottery Weekly online lottery supporting firefighters, their bereaved families, and honouring the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed in the line of duty; operated at firefighters100lottery.co.uk.
• Education & Training Programme National trade union education programme delivering courses for branch, brigade, section and regional representatives to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence in their union roles.
• Legal Services Legal protection services for members provided through the FBU's partnership with Thompson's Solicitors, including personal injury and trade union law specialisms, advice on retained duty system pension claims, a legal helpline and forms, and a will writing service.
• Pensions Advisory Service Guidance and advocacy for firefighter pensions, including retained duty system pension claims and ongoing campaigns for pension justice.
• Accident and Injury Fund Communal support fund for members who suffer bereavement or injury, providing temporary disablement, permanent disablement, and death benefits.
• Official FBU Merchandise Shop Online store selling official FBU merchandise including clothing, accessories, and branded items.

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The FBU partnered with Professor Anna Stec and her research team at UCLan to conduct the UK's first major study into cancer and fire contaminants. Since 2019, UCLan researchers have surveyed over 10,000 serving firefighters and analysed Scottish firefighters' death certificates. This partnership underpins the DECON campaign and the UK Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry. Professor Stec has received the FBU Solidarity Medal for this work.
• Thompson's SolicitorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe FBU offers members access to Thompson's Solicitors, the UK's largest and longest-established firm of specialist personal injury and trade union lawyers, for legal advice and representation including the retained duty system pension claims.
• Firefighters 100 LotterycoreOthersThe Firefighters 100 Lottery is a weekly online lottery created to support firefighters, their bereaved families, and to honour the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed in the line of duty. It funds the UK Firefighters Cancer and Disease Registry administered by UCLan.
• Trade Union Congress (TUC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU is affiliated to the TUC and participates in TUC campaigns, congresses, and the TUC Black Workers Conference. The FBU also coordinates through the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group (TUCG) for parliamentary campaigning.
• Public Services International (PSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU participates in international union activities through PSI, coordinating with public service unions globally on shared issues and solidarity campaigns.
• European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU works with EPSU on European-level public service union activities, including conference participation and international solidarity.
• Cuba SolidarityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU maintains solidarity with Cuban workers through Cuba Solidarity campaigns.
• Justice for ColombiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU participates in solidarity delegations and campaigns with Justice for Colombia, including trips to Colombia with trade union delegations.
• Palestine Solidarity CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU is active in Palestine solidarity campaigns, including calls for the release of a fire engine donated to Palestinian firefighters and support for Gaza's first responders.
• NIANRO Consulting (Professor Nicola Rollock)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FBU commissioned NIANRO Consulting, led by Professor Nicola Rollock, to conduct an independent review of racism within the FBU's governance and structures. The review involves a member-wide survey and one-to-one interviews, with findings to be shared by Spring 2026.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Royal College of Nursing (RCN): UK membership organisation and trade union for nursing staff. Comparable as a large specialist public-sector union with subscription revenue, legal services, professional education, and high-profile pay and staffing campaigns.
• ASLEF: UK trade union representing train drivers. Comparable as a sector-specialist union with subscription funding, focus on a single public-facing workforce, and recurring industrial-action cycles over pay and conditions.
• Unite the Union: One of the UK's largest trade unions with public-sector membership including some firefighters. Comparable structure: workplace organising, democratic conference governance, legal services, and political campaigning on pay and conditions.
• Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS): UK trade union for civil and public servants. Comparable in representing government-employed workers on pay, pensions, and conditions, with similar workplace rep structures and political campaigning model.
• GMB: Major UK general union with significant public-sector membership, including firefighters outside the FBU. Comparable as a subscription-based union offering representation, legal services, and political lobbying for blue-collar and public-service workers.
• NASUWT - The Teachers' Union: UK trade union representing teachers. Comparable in being a sector-specialist union with subscription funding, legal services, education programmes, and a focus on pay, conditions, and professional standards within a public-sector workforce.
• UNISON: Largest UK public services trade union, representing public-sector workers including some fire and rescue staff. Directly comparable as a membership-funded union providing representation, legal services, and campaigning for public-sector employees.
• Police Federation of England and Wales: Statutory representative body for police officers in England and Wales. Closest sectoral peer to the FBU—similar operating model representing uniformed emergency-service workers on pay, pensions, and safety, with comparable workplace organising structures.
• Prison Officers Association (POA): UK union representing prison officers and related operational staff in public-sector custodial services. Comparable in scale, sector-specific focus, and representation model for uniformed public-sector workers.

Others

• Trades Union Congress (TUC): Umbrella body for UK trade unions of which the FBU is an affiliate. Not a direct peer but a key ecosystem partner providing cross-union coordination, political influence, and shared services—directly referenced in FBU's partnership data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fbuorguk
• Xx.com/fbunational
• Facebookfacebook.com/FireBrigadesUnion1918
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fire-brigades-union

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fire Brigades Union