Fire service staffing is 'dangerously low' - union

Council member and serving Bedfordshire firefighter Jamie Newell said resources must be directed at maintaining safe, effective crewing and the "ability to respond to emergencies"

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has criticised a county fire service for "a major shortfall in firefighter recruitment".

It said Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) needed up to 30 more firefighters to return the service to safe and sustainable operational capacity.

FBU executive council member and serving Bedfordshire firefighter Jamie Newell said the service was "critically understaffed, with dangerously low numbers of firefighters available to protect the public".

Jim Davies, assistant chief fire officer at BFRS, said they had "a planned range of options to increase the number of wholetime firefighters when they are needed".

The FBU said that the process of recruiting and training 30 more firefighters could take 18 months or more.

This will leave both the public and firefighters exposed to heightened risk throughout that period, it added, especially with the extreme summer weather.

The FBU has accused chief fire officer Andy Hopkinson of inaction over recruiting fire crews

The FBU said that due to the shortfall in staff the service was "being forced to cut emergency response resources".

It has blamed chief fire officer Andy Hopkinson for the "dangerously low crewing levels".

Mr Newell said Mr Hopkinson had failed to address a crisis in recruitment and retention and "to rub salt in the wound, firefighters have seen the number of senior officer roles in the brigade increase".

"The FBU is calling for immediate action to address the firefighter staffing crisis and ensure that public safety is not further compromised," he said.

"We currently have enough firefighters to ride fire engines to give the people of Bedfordshire the emergency service they deserve," said Mr Davies.

"The service has identified a period of potential higher turnover in the future, however, a plan is in place to mitigate this and ensure communities receive the same level of service."