Firefighters to wear bodycams in transparency push

Firefighters in Greater Manchester will start to use body-worn cameras to record their response to major incidents, in a move which was called for after the Manchester Arena attack.

The devices are to be rolled out across all 41 fire stations operated by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and will be used by frontline officers.

It comes after recommendations made in the Manchester Arena Attack inquiry, where the fire service was urged to improve the way it recorded decision-making during major incidents.

Dave Pike of the Fire Brigades Union said the cameras would help ensure transparency by providing "a clear and accurate record of incidents".

The inquiry chaired by Sir John Saunders published its recommendations in three volumes between 2021 and 2023 in response to the attack at the arena in 2017 in which twenty-two people were killed.

He found emergency services needed to improve efforts for recording major decisions in real-time, while efforts to learn from the attack were "hampered by the lack of reliable contemporaneous evidence".

Each of the 233 cameras will allow GMFRS to livestream the responses of crews in major emergencies, including incidents like house fires and crashes on roads.

The rollout comes after a pilot scheme in May 2025 where the cameras were tested.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Carlos Meakin said the footage would also be reviewed after a call-out to identify ways the service could improve, and be used for training purposes.

He said: "It's about giving firefighters the tools they need to work safely and effectively at complex or fast-moving incidents, while also helping to protect our crews by providing a clear record of the challenges they face on the frontline."

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