Critical failure warning as Hampshire fire cuts branded dangerous and risk to public safety
Hampshire’s fire service could be leaving the county in greater danger if it pushes ahead with proposed cuts - but a leader has said they are being “carefully reviewed”.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) plans to make £1.6 million in cuts to its service due to “financial challenges”.
But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has launched a petition against the cuts, which has been signed by almost 900 people, and has called on the authority’s councillors to scrap the “dangerous” plans to cut 30 firefighter posts.
The fire authority is currently running a consultation to seek residents’ views on the changes, which closes on July 29.
The changes include closing two fire stations in Bembridge and Yarmouth, as well as removing the aerial ladder platform in Newport.
Rob Cole, assistant chief fire officer, said the authority’s priority will be the safety of the communities and their firefighters.
He added that in developing the proposals, they have “carefully reviewed our community risk levels against our resources”.
Mr Cole said: “HIWFRS is facing financial challenges. The costs of delivering our services have outpaced the funding we receive. Without an increase in government funding, fire and rescue services have no choice but to find ways to make savings, but we will always seek to do that in a way that ensures we can continue to reduce risk and respond to emergencies as quickly and as effectively as we can.
“We welcome views on the proposed changes and are currently engaging with our firefighters, staff and the unions on all our proposals. We also have a public consultation underway in relation to the changes for the Isle of Wight.”
Firefighters protested outside the HQ in Eastleigh where the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Authority meeting on July 15.
Since 2010, the union said Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have lost nearly one in four firefighters to cuts.
It also hit out at the authority after the region was reduced to just 23 out of 80 fire engines available due to a lack of resources on the weekend of June 28.
The Fire Brigades Union said that this shows that the frontline is already severely overstretched and under-resourced, and that further cuts will “push a service already on it knees to the point of critical failure.”
Mark Chapman, Fire Brigades Union regional secretary for the southern region, said: “Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire authority and chief fire office must put public safety first and stop these dangerous cuts.
“The service is in desperate need of investment after fifteen years of brutal austerity, having already lost nearly 1 in 4 firefighter posts to cut – a staggering reduction.
“Instead, fire service leaders are planning a £1.6 million cut. This threatens to push a service already on its knees to the point of critical failure.”