More than 130 firefighters could be axed in Essex after the local fire authority voted through some of the biggest cuts to fire and rescue in the county’s history. The news confirms fears that people will have to wait longer to be rescued in an emergency.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said the decision, which also includes the removal or downgrading of a slew of fire engines - in conjunction with the October decision to lengthen target response times – will put the public at greater risk.
Gary Critch, chair of the FBU in Essex, said: “Even though this was the least worse of the options considered by the authority, these are still the biggest cuts we have ever seen to firefighting in Essex. There can be no question that these cuts will diminish our ability to respond when the public are in danger."
“It is incredibly important that the service implements a cautious and flexible approach to delivering these cuts allowing them to be reviewed against the changing risk, as the services’ own figures show house fires and road traffic accidents are on the rise throughout the county. We require just as effective an emergency response now as always. Essex firefighters continue to rescue more people than any other fire service in England, except London. We don't want these cuts to turn some of these rescues into future fatalities.
“The 17,000 respondents who took part in the public consultation made it clear that they want the best front line response possible from their fire service - 98% voted for the smallest front line cuts or for no cuts at all. We urge members of the fire authority to remember this as we prepare to engage in urgent talks about an implementation plan with the least amount of impact on public safety.”
The union expressed disappointment that an amendment, tabled by the Labour members of the authority, that called for a more measured and cautious approach was defeated.
Critch concluded: “There should be no compromise when it comes to the safety of firefighters or members of the public. We are now facing a cut of around one-third to full-time fire services. Now is the time to explore all efficiency options elsewhere in the service and prioritise protecting the frontline service”.
On top of potentially axing over 130 frontline firefighter jobs, the fire authority’s decision means the loss of nine full-time fire engines, six of which may be reduced to part-time status. A further two, part-time fire engines and four off-road vehicles will also be cut. The FBU says critical response times to emergencies will undoubtedly increase as a result.
