The fire and rescue service for Hereford and Worcester is downgrading its fire cover by getting rid of seven more firefighter posts and relying more heavily on ‘retained’, or on-call, firefighters who are in primary employment elsewhere. The service has already cut 70 full-time firefighter jobs since 2012.
The two stations set to feel the impact of these new cuts are Evesham and Malvern, and their surrounding villages. These stations currently provide a fire engine 24/7 for 365 days a year. The proposed changes will mean there will be full-time cover from Monday to Friday until 6pm, when on-call firefighters will take over through the night. Retained firefighters at Evesham currently attend just under 70 incidents a year – this figure is set to rise to 260 when the changes are implemented. Incidents attended by on-call firefighters in Malvern are set to rise from 70 a year to a minimum of 290.
Meanwhile, Hereford and Worcester fire and rescue service (HWFRS) currently hold a reserve revenue of £7.71 million. Fire Brigades Union brigade secretary for the region, Steven Gould, said:
“We find it astonishing that council tax payers’ money is being held in this way, when it badly needs to be spent on fire and rescue cover. People are angry here. While retained/on-call firefighters do a fantastic job, their prompt arrival at the scene of fires and other incidents isn’t guaranteed in the same way as a whole-time crew due to the fact that they have primary employment elsewhere. The proposal to downgrade the whole-time day crewing appliances during the hours of 18.00 to 08.40 in Malvern and Evesham puts the communities in these two towns and the surrounding area at greater risk of serious injury and death in fire and rescue related incidents. It is totally unacceptable that HWFRS are hanging onto such a vast reserve of funds that could help keep the public safe – they could keep five firefighters on full-time for around £215,000 a year, but they won’t do it. The council tax paying public need to be made aware of the risks that are being taken with their safety.”
The latest job cut means that 41% of operational frontline firefighters have gone since 2012. HWFRS are also looking to cut 12 frontline operational watch commander posts, but they refuse to consider cutting any middle and senior management posts within the service.
