Frome Town Council has joined the fight against cuts to the town’s fire service.
The proposed cuts by Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, could see Frome’s current service of two fire engines crewed by on-call firefighters 24-hours a day, reduced to one engine crewed 24-hours a day, and the second engine crewed only at night.
Councillors are concerned it will mean an increased risk of serious and/or fatal injury for town residents.
Frome firefighters are also urging the community to attend the public meeting on Wednesday 21st August at Frome Town Football Club at 7pm, to learn more about how the cuts could put lives, properties and firefighter safety at risk.
Mayor of Frome, cllr Mark Dorrington said, “We believe it is vital to think to the future and retain the second fire engine in Frome – 24 hours a day. We hope the outcome of this consultation will not be for reducing Frome’s service, but instead planning for increased demand in the years ahead.”
Crew manager at Frome Fire Station, Jason Collier told Frome Times, “This will affect everyone that has the potential to call 999 in the future, either themselves or someone else on their behalf.
“This will impact on whether a fire engine can attend people’s minutes/seconds of need. We as a town and community (as we attend many surrounding villages) need to fight for our second appliance to be available if/when it is needed.”
The proposed cut to Frome’s fire station is one of many changes put forward by DSFRS for a public consultation, which runs until 22nd September. 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.
DSFRS will also be holding a public ‘drop-in’ exhibition about the proposed six options and the future of the service at Frome Library on Thursday 29th August, 10am to 2pm.
An online consultation survey is also available on the service’s website. For further information, visit: www.dsfire .gov.uk