Avon Fire and Rescue Service is proposing cuts to firefighter posts across the county, which the Fire Brigades Union says will put lives at risk.
These cuts could see between 32 and 72 firefighter posts axed, with possible station closures and a reduction in fire engines available to respond to emergencies.
The service says that it faces a £2 million deficit in the next financial year, and a further £2 million in 2027-28. Avon Fire and Rescue Service has already lost 252 firefighters to cuts since 2010: nearly a third of the frontline.
The FBU says that the fire authority must do everything in its power to secure urgent funding from central government instead of proposing deeper cuts.
Amanda Mills, FBU brigade secretary for Avon said:
“Avon Fire and Rescue Service is in a state of emergency, and further cuts will result in lives lost. Firefighters in Avon are already doing more with less to keep the public safe, in the face of increasing floods and wildfires. “Slashing firefighter crews further will lead to slower response times and reduced resilience. The people of Avon deserve a fire and rescue service that is equipped to respond when lives are on the line. “Avon fire authority has a responsibility to keep residents safe. Instead of proposing plans for how to cut the service, the authority must demand urgent funding from central government.”
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:
"Fifteen years of cuts have pushed fire and rescue services to the point of critical failure. Firefighters are dedicated to keeping the public safe, but they need to be given the resources to do their jobs. “Instead of providing the sustained investment urgently needed to rebuild the fire service, the Labour government has continued to inflict deeper cuts. “Local authorities must say enough is enough. Those elected to oversee our fire services must join firefighters in piling pressure on central government for the resources desperately needed.”
