Warwickshire Fire Service does partial U-turn on getting rid of on-call crews
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has done a partial U-turn on removing on-call firefighters from the county's crews.
Instead, new proposals will see the system remain in parts of the county, but at night only.
The Fire Service said at the beginning of the year that they needed to restructure the service to make sure they are putting more crews where most incidents happen and because they say they cannot recruit the number of on-call fire crews that they need. On-call crews work part-time alongside other jobs and can be at their local station within five minutes when they are on call.
The Fire Service has now responded to the public consultation on the proposed plans and have amended them following feedback.
It means that instead of getting rid of on-call firefighters all over the county, the new proposal would see them stay on at night only in Polesworth, Henley-In-Arden, Wellesbourne, Southam and Bidford-On-Avon.
Four fire stations which are currently on-call only stations will now get full-time crews based there during the day. These are Kenilworth, Henley-In-Arden, Wellesbourne and Southam.
Overall the number of fire crews available would be 14 in the day and 13 at night. That is an improvement on the current proposal of 12 in the day and eight at night, but a change from the current system which has 11 in the day and nine at night, with the option of up to 12 more when on-call fire crews are on duty.
The amended proposals would also still see response times lengthen in some parts of the county.
The proposals will cost an extra £0.5 million a year, with an additional £600,000 needed to modify station facilities. These finances are currently unbudgeted for.
The Firefighter's Union the FRSA say that for this reason 'These proposals will result not only in a worse service, but a more expensive one.’
The Association President Mark Palmer says the plans 'will make the on-call teams in seven stations redundant, the proposal will marginally improve response times in three districts and worsen it in the two districts with the longest response times. All this will cost council tax payers at least £2.3 million over three years, which they freely admit is unbudgeted and will have to be taken from other services.'
'The future is bleak for the on-call crews at Stratford, Fenny Compton, Shipston, Kenilworth, Bedworth, Coleshill and Atherstone now facing redundancy. Shipston, Gaydon and Fenny Compton stations will effectively close for normal business.’
The amended plans will now be discussed at the Resources and Fire and Rescue Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Wednesday 26 June before going to Warwickshire County Council's Cabinet meeting for a decision on Tuesday 16 July.