Tyne and Wear Fire Authority has delayed a vote on cutting the number of firefighters who serve in fire crews, a week after the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) warned the move could put lives at risk.
The authority had been due to vote yesterday (6 Nov) on reducing crew sizes from five to four at fire stations with only one fire engine. Instead, the fire authority has pushed back the vote until the next meeting in December.
Russ King, brigade secretary of the FBU in Tyne and Wear, said: “Although we welcome the decision to delay the vote, we are mindful that the proposal has not gone away. The government need to provide proper funding for the fire service if we are to continue keeping people safe. They have an opportunity to do so in the upcoming budget."
