A dozen firefighters from across Wiltshire are travelling to Westminster on Tuesday 17 April to warn local MPs plans to slash £1.8 million from the Fire Authority budget would render the county’s fire service “not fit for purpose” and could cost lives.
The controversial cuts package, put forward by the County’s Chief Fire Officer, is now out to consultation. It includes plans to cut frontline firefighting, spreading appliances more thinly around the county and reducing specialist emergency medical equipment.
Brent Thorley, Wiltshire Brigade Secretary, said: “MPs want to serve their constituents. They need to know what could happen in their own back yard if these cuts go ahead.
“We are firefighting professionals and can see the risks. It’s our job to alert MPs and councilors to what’s at stake. These cuts threaten to have a devastating impact on Wiltshire Fire and Rescue’s ability to serve communities.”
The key concerns are over:
Cuts to ‘on call’ retained firefighters which could see the loss of one in three full time equivalent posts.
Plans to cut 30 whole time firefighter posts, one in six frontline posts;
Cutting the number of aerial appliances (for use in buildings over 3 floors where fire engine ladders can’t reach) from two to one
Removal of four emergency tenders used at road traffic incidents and building collapses. They carry specialist medical equipment.
The FBU delegation has fixed up a meeting with Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, at the Westminster lobby and Robert Buckland, MP for Swindon South, hopes to be able to meet the firefighters.
The union is also urging all Wiltshire MPs to sign an Early Day Motion calling for “fair” central government grants to reflect the contribution fire services across the
South West make to dealing with major UK incidents and building national resilience.
