‘THOUSANDS of firefighters face the sack’ as a result of the Public Sector Pensions Bill, which imposes a normal pension age (NPA) of 60 on firefighters, the Fire Brigades Union is warning.
The FBU says that the government’s own report, which was published earlier this year, ‘shows that most firefighters cannot work safely until that age’.
But, warns the union: ‘The report will also mean stringent fitness testing, which will result in thousands of firefighters facing the sack.
‘That is bad for firefighters and for the service we provide to our communities.’
The FBU is calling on members to write to their MPs demanding they oppose the Bill.
The union is also warning that proposed cuts to the Devon and Somerset Fire Service, including making full-time crewed appliances part-time, are ‘an unacceptable and dangerous package which should be dropped immediately’.
The proposals are ‘the biggest cuts to frontline fire and rescue in Devon and Somerset in living memory,’ warns the union.
Devon and Somerset Fire Service is losing 17% of its government grant over the next two years – a £5.5m- cut.
Management plans for fire appliances in Plymouth – at Plympton, Plymstock and Camel’s Head – to be ‘on call’ rather than crewed full-time.
The FBU’s response to these planned cuts in Devon and Somerset is unprecedented.
Its report – which runs to 30 pages, and is to be distributed to councillors, MPs, and other influential people – analyses in detail every proposal and takes issue with them all.
The strength of the union’s reaction demonstrates the concerns and hostility amongst firefighters about the proposals, and what they may mean for the future of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.
The city’s aerial ladder platform crew will also become on call instead of full-time.
In north Devon, Ilfracombe’s fire station will be cut from all-day crewing to just on call, second fire engines in Torquay in south Devon and Taunton in Somerset will be cut from full-time to on call.
The cuts would increase emergency response times, compromise cover, and increase the risk to communities and firefighters, warns the report.
It says the plans have been received by staff with ‘a sense of betrayal’, and concludes that the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority has to withdraw the cuts package and think again.
The FBU has also condemned cuts and shift changes in Mid and West Wales, which saw Llanelli fire station downgraded and firefighters told to stand down with only an hour’s notice.
Llanelli fire station has been downgraded to self-rostered crewing (known as day crewing plus).
Barrie Davies, FBU brigade secretary in Mid and West Wales said: ‘The county commander entered the station just before 11pm on Sunday with no prior warning and gave the duty watch one hour to empty their lockers and ordered them to stand down from duty from midnight.
‘This resulted in our members having to leave the station in the dead of night half way through their last shift.
‘We fully expected the service to allow the crew the dignity of completing their last shift with a senior officer meeting them at 9am to thank them for all their years of service at Llanelli fire station.
‘Some members had worked there for 25 years plus. This did not happen.
‘FBU officials went into the station to voice our disappointment at the treatment of our members, only to be told by the assistant chief fire officer and county commander “we said we were changing the shift pattern on 8th April, we just didn’t state what time that would be”.’
