'Somebody's going to die': Union warns cuts to fire service will have deadly consequences

  • The FBU has warned cuts to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service will put "homes, communities and public safety at risk", as Caron Bell reports

The Fire Brigades Union has warned "somebody is going to die" as a result of a cuts to a fire service.

Plans to downgrade Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) were published in August.

Eight fire stations are set to lose a fire engine leaving many with just one appliance, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said it is facing "significant financial challenges" and the plans outlined are to make the service more sustainable.

The cuts mean there will be no guaranteed firefighter availability between Swindon and Salisbury, the FBU said. Credit: PA

As part of the changes, stations in Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough will lose a fire engine by the end of September.

DWFRS said Poole, which provides fire cover across the south of Dorset, will also lose a fulltime crewed fire engine by April 2025 under the plans.

Proposals to remove the second fire engines at Sherborne, Portland and Wimborne, are due to be reviewed in January 2025.

Val Hampshire, FBU executive council member for the South West, said the proposals put public safety at risk.

"This puts the public at risk and it also puts the firefighters at risk, because they've got to wait longer to get that back up fire crew," she said.

The FBU said under the plans, there would be no guaranteed firefighter availability between Swindon and Salisbury, decreasing fire cover across the region.

Ms Hampshire added: "The consequence is somebody's going to die, because they've got to wait so much longer to get a fire appliance."

A DWFRS spokesperson said the service needed to make sure its resources were in the right place. Credit: PA

Andy Cole, assistant chief fire officer and director of community safety at the service, said people "shouldn't be worried."

"We've been reviewing the vulnerability of different communities across the service, as well as the demand that we've had — so how many incidents we've been to — over a period of four years," he said.

"Anybody across Dorset and Wiltshire that requires a fire engine and dials 999 and asks for a fire engine will receive a fire engine if they need one."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...