North Wales firefighter jobs at risk as result of shake-up

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service wants to speed up response times in rural areas

Dozens of firefighters could be axed amid plans to improve services in rural areas of north Wales.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service wants to speed up response times, with better emergency cover in Corwen, Dolgellau and Porthmadog.

In order to fund it, full-time firefighters could lose their jobs in Rhyl, Deeside and Wrexham.

Controversial plans to take a fire engine from Wrexham have also been resurrected.

Some smaller stations could also be closed.

A fire authority meeting heard the service was asked in 2021 to look at how it responds to 999 calls.

Across much of north Wales, emergency cover is provided by on-call firefighters, who are not full-time and may work other jobs.

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Authority members were told there have been problems with not having enough on-call firefighters available in the day and has come up with three options.

The first is to put full-time firefighters on duty during the day in Corwen, Dolgellau and Porthmadog.

A second would include that, but take away one of three fire engines based in Wrexham and lose 22 firefighter jobs.

A third possibility would include the benefits of the first proposal and the cuts of the second.

In 2016 there were protests about plans to get rid of a fire engine in Wrexham

It would also see the closure of Abersoch, Beaumaris, Cerrigydrudion, Conwy and Llanberis fire stations.

That would mean a total loss of 36 full-time firefighters and 38 on-call firefighters.

All options include getting rid of the night shift at Rhyl and Deeside fire stations, and leaving only on-call staff.

The meeting was told all options would mean an increase in what people pay for the fire service through council tax.

Chief fire officer Dawn Docx said: "There's a real impetus to improve our emergency response times in rural areas, that's the driving factor behind what we're doing here."

She said the fire service wanted to achieve its plans - which go out for consultation at the end of the week until a decision is made in October - without compulsory redundancies.

North Wales Fire Authority chairman Dylan Rees said the service was engaging in "a difficult balancing act".

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said one in five firefighter jobs had been lost since 2010, at least 450 of these in Wales.

It said investment, not cuts, was what was needed since firefighters were "stretched close to breaking point".

Executive council member for Wales, Cerith Griffiths, said: "All three of the service's proposals amount to more cuts. Our local authority shouldn't be choosing between three different ways to put the public at risk.

"Local FBU officials and members have already met and a campaign to defend jobs and public safety is under way."