Union warns fire cuts will put public at risk

It is taking longer than ever for crews to reach fires in Dorset and Wiltshire, FBU figures show

Cuts to a fire service would put the public at risk, the firefighters' union has warned.

Plans to downgrade Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) were published earlier in the week.

Eight stations could each lose a fire engine, leaving many with just one, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

A DWFRS spokesperson said it was facing "significant financial challenges" and needed to make sure the service was sustainable for the future.

In the last 10 years, one in five firefighter jobs have been cut in the UK, the union says

Under the plans, stations in Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough face losing a fire engine by the end of September.

The removal of fire engines at Wimborne, Sherborne and Portland will also be reviewed in January 2025.

Changes would see the station at Poole, which provides fire cover across the south of Dorset, lose a full-time crewed fire engine by April 2025.

And there would be no guaranteed firefighter availability between Swindon and Salisbury, the FBU said.

The FBU said it was already taking longer than ever for crews to reach fires in Dorset and Wiltshire - an average of 10 minutes and 46 seconds in 2023.

Firefighters were also being sent out in teams of four instead of five, it said, blaming the changes on "staffing cuts" and a "lack of resources".

'Every second counts'

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said plans to cut the service further would put homes and public safety at risk.

“Slashing resources and downgrading fire cover means people waiting longer for help, but every second counts at a fire," he said.

"The fire authority must put public safety before cost-cutting and stop these dangerous cuts."

A DWFRS spokesperson said the service needed to make sure its resources were in the right place, based on community need and data.

They added that the changes included "some reinvestment" and would mean more full-time firefighter posts at Westlea, Amesbury and Dorchester.

The service will be recruiting for more firefighters in the autumn.