On-call fire services in Cheshire under threat

Runcorn is one of four stations in Cheshire targeted for changes

Parts of Cheshire could lose their on-call fire engine service as part of an overhaul of services in the area.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service wants to replace the on-call crews at Runcorn, Northwich, Winsford, and Macclesfield with full-time crews which would only operate during weekdays.

Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive Alex Waller said the move would improve response times across the borough.

The Fire Brigades Union said the plans were causing "concern and anxiety".

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, which has launched a consultation on the plans, said each station would still have around the clock cover.

"Our proposals include converting four fire engines, currently crewed by part-time, on-call, firefighters and not often available, to fire engines crewed by full-time firefighters and guaranteed to be available during weekday daytimes, when we are usually busiest," Mr Waller said.

"This would mean more full-time firefighter jobs and more fire engines being available. These fire engines would improve response times and serve right across Cheshire."

On-call firefighters have other full-time jobs and leave their main jobs when they are needed and can be called during the night or weekends to respond to emergencies.

Full-time firefighters do not have other jobs and are stationed on site for the duration of their shift.

The new plan would leave one full-time fire crew in place and replace the second on-call crew with another full-time crew which would only work during weekdays, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Fire chiefs said there would be no change to the number of fire engines available for call outs and it would mean more full-time jobs and more fire engines were available.

Andrew Fox-Hewitt, secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in Cheshire, said the proposals "are causing concern and anxiety at stations where the removal of a fire engine is proposed".

He said the union had requested more information, including risk and task analysis, from the fire service regarding the impact of the planned changes.

The proposals are part of the service's Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) and are due to be published next April.