Only six firefighters and two crew managers were on duty in Carlisle today as a result of government cuts according to the Fire Brigades Union, a 50% reduction since 2004.
The FBU says that such a small team cannot effectively staff two fire engines and the aerial ladder platform (ALP) based at Carlisle East fire station.
Graeme Higgins, FBU brigade secretary for Carlisle, said: “Staff shortages will mean slower response times and a greater risk to life and property across the city. “Both the general public and firefighters themselves will be put at risk.
“It’s time local politicians united with firefighters and the public to stand up to central government and demand they put safety ahead of their ruthless austerity agenda.”
ALP’s are used to fight building fires and rescue people from large terraced houses. However, without a dedicated team to staff the ALP, firefighters must now return to the station from an incident to pick up the vehicle when needed.
Carlisle’s ALP serves a large area of north Cumbria, with the next nearest being based in Barrow-in-Furness: a 90 mile trip from Carlisle.
On the eve of winning the 2010 general election, David Cameron met with Carlisle firefighters, saying that under his premiership there would be no cuts to frontline services.
