A campaign to save North Wales Fire and Rescue Service from cuts resulted in a victory for firefighters and public safety.
Following months of FBU members campaigning, rallying, organising and lobbying, North Wales fire authority voted to scrap the last of three austerity proposals.
Rhyl and Deeside fire stations both faced being closed at night. FBU members and officials had warned that this would impact firefighters’ ability to keep people and homes safe in two of the region’s busiest areas, as well as decreasing capacity across North Wales at night.
Firefighters and members of the public joined forces in opposing the plans, staging protests at the stations under threat. The fire authority subsequently voted to reject all proposals to downgrade fire cover in the region.
Duncan Stewart-Ball, FBU regional secretary for Wales, said that “the incredible solidarity we have seen during this campaign has shown just how valued the work of our firefighters is by the people they protect.”
The service has now introduced a “task and finish group” looking at options to address difficulties with rural fire cover.
