Plans to cut 40 Avon Firefighter roles called "dangerous" by Union
The Fire Brigade Union say the plans will put "lives and homes" at risk
Last updated 4th Oct 2023
The Fire Brigades Union has condemned proposals to cut 40 of Avon's firefighters across the region, calling the plans "dangerous and irresponsible".
Avon Fire Authority will meet today (Wednesday) to go through proposals to phase out the roles in the next few years, as current firefighters retire.
The panel will also be recommended to reduce the size of crews responding to emergencies from 5 firefighters to 4.
It's in a bid to cover a shortfall in budgets.
Dave Roberts, FBU South West regional secretary said:
"This is the time for urgent investment in our service, not even more brutal cuts. These dangerous, irresponsible proposals will stretch our service to breaking point. The FBU will campaign against any threat to public and firefighter safety, every step of the way.”
Avon Fire Authority say any "surplus savings" will be reinvested in the community.
A statement from the Chief Fire Officer Simon Shilton says "Let me be clear: we will not compromise firefighter safety or the safety of our communities in the pursuit of cost savings"
"We will not be closing any of our existing fire stations nor will we reduce the number of fire engines and appliances within our Service. We are looking at how we can do things differently to ensure we meet efficiency savings required, reinvest in other areas and be more agile as a Service to make our Service stronger and our communities safer.
"In an ideal world, we would not have to make these difficult decisions, but unfortunately the harsh reality is that we must take the funding we have and find innovative ways to utilise the resources available to us."
"In an ideal world, we would not have to make these difficult decisions, but unfortunately the harsh reality is that we must take the funding we have and find innovative ways to utilise the resources available to us."