Cheshire firefighters refuse to use one-extinguisher trucks

The vehicles have been rolled out to 11 stations in Cheshire

Firefighters are refusing to use pick-up trucks with single fire extinguishers for some incidents on safety grounds, a union says.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has recently extended the use of rapid response rescue units (RRRUs).

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the decision was a serious breach of safety guidelines and put lives at risk.

But CFRS said it had been safely using the vehicles at its Holmes Chapel and Sandbach fire stations for 13 years.

The RRRUs were introduced under a new policy into the 11 additional fire stations on 1 June.

This includes Alsager, Audlem, Frodsham, Knutsford, Malpas, Middlewich, Sandbach, Stockton Heath, Tarporley and Bollington.

Andrew Fox-Hewitt, FBU Cheshire brigade secretary, said usually at least four firefighters would be sent to incidents in a fire engine but only two or three would be able to go in an RRRU.

"We've seen cuts before but this is beyond farcical," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It is a disastrous plan that will end in damage to the health and safety of firefighters and the public alike."

'Tried and tested'

Mr Fox-Hewitt said the majority of firefighters had refused to crew the vehicles on the grounds of safety concerns.

"They're not refusing to go out to incidents, they're saying 'these vehicles as you are proposing them to be mobilised to incidents are not safe, we won't crew them, we'll crew the fire engines'."

But the CFRS has refuted claims that the RRRUs had put firefighters or members of the public at risk.

Chief Fire Officer Mark Cashin said: "RRRUs are a tried and tested part of a modern fire and rescue service fleet.

"They enable firefighters to safely provide lifesaving trauma care and carry out preparatory work prior to the arrival of traditional fire engines, which may take longer to get to an incident.

"They are never sent as the first vehicle to a fire incident.

"At least one fire engine, with full firefighting equipment and four firefighters, will always be deployed first."

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