Newbury fire station could face staff cuts
Union claims proposed cuts could result in delayed emergency responses to house fires and vehicle collisions
THE ROYAL Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service could soon axe 12 of Newbury's 40 firemen in a package of cuts worth £1,480,000.
The fire authority's management committee is considering the budget cuts at a meeting in Reading tonight (Monday) ahead of Thursday's full fire authority meeting in Newbury where the decision could be ratified.
The layoffs among Newbury staff would mean that the station's Heavy Rescue Unit - which is used for major rescue events, such as a train derailment or multiple vehicle collision - would have to be jointly crewed by the crew of Newbury's full-time fire engine.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has blasted the proposed cuts, claiming that they could lead to delayed emergency responses to house fires and road traffic collisions in West Berkshire.
The chairman of the FBU Berkshire Brigade, Maurice Whyte, said: “These wide ranging budget proposals greatly concern FBU members in Berkshire. If implemented they will have a detrimental impact on the safety of the communities that we serve. Delayed and reduced attendances to house fires and road traffic collisions are possible as a result of the additional pressure on front-line resources.
“The fire authority should produce a risk management plan that decides the level of service that it delivers to the public. FBU members fear that the fire authority is using the budget proposals to bring in cuts without a proper risk assessment on their impact upon public safety.”
Other cuts proposed by the fire service include a reduction in the number of fire engines responding to automatic fire alarms, changes to the service's response to low risk incidents in rural station areas and a 27 per cent reduction in the number of operational officers – staff with a role of station manager and above – across the authority.
There are currently 45 operational officers across Berkshire and if these measures are adopted, 33 will remain.
