FROME Fire Station could see a reduction in on-call firefighter support if plans by the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are given the go-ahead.
Currently Frome has two fire engines that are crewed by on-call firefighters 24-hours a day.
Under the proposal, the first engine would continue to have 24-hour on-call crewing, whilst the second engine would be reduced to on-call night cover only – from 6pm to 8am only.
Public consultation opened at the beginning of the month on the proposals that could make significant changes to the way the service operates across Somerset and Devon.
Other changes proposed, which have been divided into six options, include the closure of several ‘low risk/low activity’ stations, the removal of all third engines, and removal of some second engines.
The proposals have been made as the service estimates that it needs to make savings totalling £8.4million in the next three years. Over the last five years, the service has already made savings of £12.2million.
Any savings made will be reinvested into prevention work in the community, says the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. It would also allow the service to move its resources from areas of low risk to areas where they are most needed. The changes are also intended to address difficulties with recruiting on-call firefighters and the historical location of fire stations, which means that some are now in the wrong place to meet the risk in those communities.
The consultation period runs for 12 weeks until 22nd September and there are a number of ways for the public to engage with the consultation.
A public ‘drop-in’ exhibition about the proposed six options and the future of the service will be held at Frome Library on Thursday 29th August, 10am to 2pm.
An online consultation survey is also available on the service’s website.
Chief fire officer Lee Howell said, “We all know that the main way to save lives is to prevent fires from happening in the first place. As a service, we have made great progress but we feel we can and should be doing more to make people and buildings safer. At the same time, we need to improve our ability to respond to emergencies and ensure we better match our resources to our risks. These proposals aim to do just that.
“We do understand that communities affected by these changes will want more information and we will be engaging with them in the coming months to listen to their views. This will also be a difficult time for the staff affected and we are committed to working with them to consider how we might provide options as we move forward.”
The proposals have received criticism from the Devon and Somerset Fire Brigades Union (FBU). They said, “We condemn the Fire Authority’s decision to publicly consult on six options that include station closures, removal of appliances and cuts in appliance availability.
“All of these options will put firefighter and public lives at risk. These options are totally unacceptable to this committee and we will now campaign, both politically and industrially, against these dangerous proposals.”
For further information, visit www.dsfire.gov.uk where the online consultation, can also be found.
