Proposals to axe around 40 retained firefighters and close five retained fire stations have been branded ‘devastating’ for public safety in Cumbria and could lead to 15 minute delays to some emergencies.
Under the proposals published by Cumbria County Council, retained fire stations in Staveley, Arnside, Frizington, Lazonby and Walney would be shut down and sold off, the five fire engines based at the stations would be decommissioned which would result in the loss of around 40 retained firefighter jobs. There are also plans to remove one of two fire engines based at Maryport fire station.
Graeme Higgins, brigade secretary of the FBU in Cumbria, said: “The safety of the public and firefighters will be absolutely devastated if these proposals are adopted. At the moment in Cumbria we can have as many as 15 fire engines unavailable at a time due to a lack of staff. It makes no sense to cut firefighter numbers. Retained firefighters contribute a lot to the firefighting service the public receive in Cumbria.
“Retained fire stations and firefighters are vital to rural communities such as Cumbria. The council state that these stations have been earmarked for closure because there is a low level of demand. However if these proposals go ahead we’ll be looking at a 10 – 15 minute delay between a member of the public reporting an emergency to when a fire engine will arrive on the scene. That delay could be the difference between life and death.”
A three month public consultation will now follow the publication of the council’s Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP).
