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Cutbacks threat to fire safety

Issue date

11 Jan 2008

Cutbacks threat to fire safety

Fire service cuts are putting firefighters and the public at risk, fire service union FBU has warned. The union has highlighted planned cutbacks in Cleveland and in Humberside. FBU says cuts in government cash to Cleveland for the next three years 'take no account of the Authority's unique, high risk operating environment and will result in the loss of about 60 firefighter posts.' FBU says the area has 37 of the highest level major accident hazard (COMAH) industrial sites and the highest concentration of petrochemical sites in Western Europe. Steve Watson, Cleveland FBU brigade secretary, said: 'Cleveland is not just unique in the UK, but in Europe because of the huge number of the very highest level of major accident hazard sites. We have sites many, many times the size of Buncefield.' He added: 'Cleveland fire crews have legitimate concerns and strong views about public safety and their own safety. We are particularly aware of these issues at a time when, nationally, firefighter deaths have reached a 30-year high.' In Humberside, the Fire and Rescue Authority intends to make budget cuts of £4 million over the next three years. FBU says this is despite the authority getting far more money than it expected from central government. Local fire crews estimate the planned cuts will see the loss of 1 in 10 frontline firefighter posts, amounting to 100 to 110 jobs. Ian Murray, Humberside FBU spokesperson, said: 'With those closures and cuts that back up will take longer to arrive which will affect our ability to do our jobs at emergency incidents. This will clearly compromise public safety and our safety. Firefighters could be left in the impossible position at 999 incidents of either waiting until a safe number of firefighters arrive and risking the lives of the public, or ignoring basic safety procedures and risking our own lives.'

FBU news releases on the Cleveland and Humberside cutbacks.

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