Firefighters in Oxfordshire are preparing to launch a “huge” campaign against cuts to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Yesterday, over 150 firefighters from across the county travelled to Oxford for a mass Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members’ meeting in opposition to the county council’s plans.
The FBU has organised a rally of firefighters to protest the cuts outside Oxford’s County Hall on Tuesday 9 December at 9am.
The council is running a public consultation on the cuts, open until 20 January 2026. The FBU is calling for the consultation to be scrapped.
Oxfordshire County Council plans threaten to close five fire stations - Eynsham, Woodstock, and Henley – and remove six fire engines. Rewley Road and Kidlington fire stations could also be merged into one base in Oxford, with a special rescue vehicle to be cut from Kidlington.
At night, only five fire engines will be guaranteed to be available to cover all of Oxfordshire.
42 firefighters as a minimum face forced redundancy, firefighters across Oxfordshire being forced to work unsafe 12-hour shifts, and 14 firefighters could face losing their homes in Kidlington as a result of the plans for Oxford.
The union has warned that industrial action could be on the cards if plans aren’t withdrawn.
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said:
Fire and rescue services have been decimated by austerity over the last fifteen years, and Oxfordshire is no exception. Firefighters are attending more incidents with fewer resources and tackling the impact of increasingly extreme weather events.
Oxfordshire County Council is threatening further cuts that, if implemented, will put lives at risk across the county. The fire and rescue service and council must scrap these dangerous plans and do everything in their power to secure the investment needed from central government.”
John Shuker, FBU Oxfordshire brigade secretary said:
Firefighters across the county are furious at Oxfordshire County Council’s attacks on the fire and rescue service. Our packed-out meeting yesterday showed the strength of feeling on the frontline, and we are considering all options to fight these cuts – including industrial action.
The council is threatening to close fire stations, remove fire engines, and reduce firefighter posts. This would leave communities across Oxfordshire without the fire cover needed to keep people safe.
Firefighters’ working conditions are also coming under attack, with fourteen firefighters in Kidlington even facing losing their homes. It’s unacceptable.
Only five fire engines would be guaranteed to be available at night across the entire county. This is outright dangerous. We are calling on the public to join the campaign to stop the cuts: fill out the public consultation and join firefighters at Tuesday’s rally.”
Chris Wycherley, executive council member for the Southern region said:
The Fire Brigades Union is calling for communities across Oxfordshire to rally round and stand with firefighters in opposition to these dangerous cuts to the fire and rescue service.
Oxfordshire County Council is threatening a wave of cuts that would bring our already under-resourced service to its knees. Fire engines are already arriving at incidents two minutes slower than the national average due to a severe lack of resources, and every second counts.
The council must listen to firefighters and rebuild the fire and rescue service, instead of putting lives at risk by tearing it down. The people of Oxfordshire deserve better. Firefighters deserve better.”
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