Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has this morning informed firefighters of proposals to close eight fire stations across the county, in a series of cuts that the Fire Brigades Union has warned will put lives at risk.
The eight fire stations facing closure are:
- Ramsbury
- Bradford on Avon
- Wilton
- Mere
- Cranborne
- Hamworthy
- Maiden Newton
- Charmouth
The FBU says that closing fire stations will leave communities across Dorset and Wiltshire without adequate protection from fires, flooding and other life-threatening emergencies.
The fire authority will be meeting on the 10 February to decide whether to take the proposals to a 13 week public consultation.
The FBU says it’s putting members on an ‘industrial footing’ to defend services against cuts across the UK. Firefighters in Oxfordshire are moving towards industrial action in response to cuts threatened by the county council, while cuts have been averted in Avon and Leicestershire following FBU campaigns.
Barney Hedgecock, FBU fairness at work rep for Dorset and Wiltshire said:
Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service is already severely overstretched and under-resourced. The raging Holt Health wildfire this summer should have been a stark warning that the service needs urgent investment to face increasing extreme weather events.
Firefighters work tirelessly to keep communities safe, but the reality is that cuts and station closures put lives at greater risk. Fewer firefighters and fire engines available will mean slower response times to emergencies, at times when every second counts.
The FBU is calling on the fire authority to reject these disastrous proposals. The council and fire service leaders must put public safety first and stop these cuts.”
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said:
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is facing a devastating loss of resources, with senior leaders threatening to close eight fire stations.
We need a fire and rescue service that is fit to face the future. Closing fire stations and running the service ragged will only leave communities at greater risk – instead we need investment to rebuild resilience.
The FBU is ready to fight to prevent dangerous cuts up and down the country, and firefighters have been successful in stopping them in several brigades. Firefighters are making it clear that we won’t stand by while cuts cost lives.
Dorset and Wiltshire fire authority and fire service must do everything in their power to secure the funding desperately needed to rebuild the service.”
