Cuts in fire cover provision have been taking place all over the country, even after the Newquay fire disaster. The Fire brigades Union (FBU) has continued steadfastly to campaign to oppose these threats to public safety.
Current campaigns are taking place in Lincolnshire, Berkshire and Cornwall.
The FBU will present proposals to maintain 24-hour cover at Windsor fire station at no extra cost when it meets senior managers from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) on 3 September.
The fire authority decided, against strong opposition from the local community and politicians, that crews from Windsor fire station will no longer be available to respond to fires and other emergencies during the night-time hours when most serious incidents occur.
The decision, taken on 24 July under the authority’s integrated risk management plan (IRMP), means an emergency response between 20.00 and 08.00 hours will now be provided from Slough, if crews there are available.
The Union put forward proposals to maintain a 24-hour emergency response from Windsor to the Fire Authority in July, but councillors dismissed the proposals.
Eddie Cardoso, FBU brigade secretary in Berkshire, said:
‘The FBU has closely worked with RBFRS in designing the five-year IRMP plan. However, we have maintained throughout that we will oppose changes that fail to lead to improvements in public and firefighter safety.
‘The fire authority says it aims to make our community safer by doing more with the same resources.
The decision of the fire authority means we will have less fire engines and less firefighters.
‘We will lose two major appliances in the east of the county during the night hours when most serious incidents occur.’
Mick Rowley, Windsor FBU Representative said:
‘The FBU on behalf of all its members offer our condolences to those who have been injured or have lost a friend or relative in the Newquay hotel fire.
‘This tragic event in Newquay clearly demonstrates the need to have the appropriate resources in Windsor at night time.
‘The Union has always maintained that cuts cost lives, and should these proposals go ahead, Windsor’s residents and visitors will have to wait longer for appliances to arrive.
‘The extra 3-5 minutes it will take an appliance to arrive with the correct number of firefighters can literally mean the difference between life and death.’
Delays in getting vital equipment and sufficient firefighters to the Newquay fire could be repeated in Lincolnshire, if current proposals to cut the numbers of operational firefighting posts go ahead.
‘These proposed new cuts are on top of changes to operational safety cover already made on April 4 of this year,’ said Lincolnshire FBU brigade secretary Chris Hides.
‘These further losses of operational firefighting posts will damage Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service’s ability to respond to incidents.
‘We are especially concerned about the availability of the hydraulic platforms based at Lincoln, Skegness and Boston.
‘With these cuts, there may be no firefighters available to crew these platforms at key times.
‘A recent incident in Skegness highlighted the importance and need for these aerial fire engines for tackling fires, and the need for them to be available 24/7.’
Following the fire in Newquay the FBU has once again highlighted the dangers of cutting back on specialist equipment such as aerial appliances and on staffing, as well as reductions in night-time cover.
In the wake of the fire which destroyed a hotel in Newquay, Cornwall on Saturday, the Union has renewed calls for fire and rescue authorities to stop cuts to fire cover, crews and equipment.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack, said:
‘We have to offer our condolences to those who have been injured or have lost a friend or relative in the Newquay hotel fire.
‘And we must congratulate the firefighters. They behaved in the committed and professional way which we expect of them. We also have to learn lessons for the future.
‘We know that the only two aerial appliances in Cornwall were out of action, and an appliance had to come 50 miles from Devon.
‘The Fire Brigades Union has heard reports for three years that the numbers of aerial appliances were being cut back across the UK because of cost.
‘There must be no more cutbacks on aerial appliances.’
The general secretary added:
‘We have been concerned this summer about cuts in staffing in Cornwall. It’s just over two months since Cornish fire crews came to Truro for a protest march against the cuts. In the height of the holiday season in particular, we must have sufficient firefighters.’
The population of the popular resort grows from about 20,000 to 100,000 over the three-month period.
Matt Wrack added:
‘We have also been concerned at cuts in night-time cover. The first call to the Penhallow Hotel came at 12.30am. There were not enough crews in the area to staff the second pump. It is dangerous not to have sufficient night-time cover.’
The Mayor of Newquay, Patrick Lambshead, has called for 24-hour fire cover from stations in the town during the summer months.
The FBU has condemned as ‘disgraceful’ proposals by Cornwall County Council to downgrade Falmouth and Camborne fire stations.
On 21 August, it asked the county council to drop the proposals, but councillors refused, saying instead that they wished to await the outcome of a detailed investigation into events at Newquay.
The proposals are to be considered by the full council on October 9.
The FBU has already held two meetings since the Newquay fire.
The first involved fire crews union representatives from stations from around Cornwall, the second was with Councillor David Whalley and Councillor Ken Yeo.
Chief fire officer Matt Littmoden also attended. At the meeting, FBU officials insisted that public safety demanded that Councillors Whalley and Yeo withdraw the proposals unconditionally.
They declined to do so.
The FBU also requested that the shortfall in wholetime firefighters – currently 17 – be addressed as a matter of utmost urgency by recruiting more firefighters.
This was refused by Councillors Whalley and Yeo.
The FBU then went on to request that retained firefighter numbers in Cornwall are increased in line with a review that has been gathering dust on a council shelf for 3 years.
This too was refused.
FBU Regional Secretary John Drake said:
‘Councillors Whalley and Yeo had an opportunity this afternoon to consign the disgraceful proposals to downgrade Falmouth and Camborne fire stations to the bin.
‘It would be seen as the only decision to make in light of recent events in Cornwall.
‘They have, however, not only shattered any trust the public in Cornwall have left in these two politicians but also refused to back the men and women serving in Cornwall Fire Brigade by continuing to wring their hands, plead poverty and await the outcome of a review.
‘The review into Retained Duty system firefighters has not been actioned for almost three years.’
Cornwall FBU Secretary Terry Nottle said:
‘After the tragic events of the weekend, firefighters and control staff from all over Cornwall have been contacting the FBU to state that it would be totally unfeasible for the council to continue with its proposals, and surely the County Council will see sense. ‘Remarkably the two leaders didn’t share this view.
‘As leader of the County Council, David Whalley has totally lost the confidence of firefighters in his ability to provide a service which the public in Cornwall deserve. Councillor Yeo has also shown a complete lack of leadership and firefighters are rightly angry that these proposals are still on the table.’
Such cuts are way past redeeming through protest action.
This means building Councils of Action to rally all the struggles to defend services, taking on the Brown government, defeating it and leading general strike action to go forward to a workers’ government and socialism.
