Essex firefighters left exhausted due to staff crisis
New data revealed in a Freedom of Information request found that firefighters were moved from their usual bases to elsewhere in Essex on 2,570 occasions in 2023
A trades union warns firefighters in Essex are regularly asked to travel across the county, leaving smaller communities without adequate cover.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is said to be facing a staffing crisis, with crews being moved from their usual bases on more than 2500 occasions last year.
There were also 304 fire engines moved in August, 301 in October, and 278 in December.
Riccardo la Torre, the Fire Brigades Union national officer, says it is leaving firefighters exhausted.
He said: “Since 2010 the fire rescue service has been cut to the bone. We've seen over 30% of central government funding slashed and we have lost nearly 12, 000 firefighters across the United Kingdom. That's more than one in five firefighters no longer serving their community.
“I started as an Essex firefighter 20 years ago, when there was well over a thousand firefighters serving the county. In that time the county's grown, the risk has grown, yet we've got barely over 400. That means increased attendance times, that means exhausted firefighters, that means a lack of resources needed to face and tackle ever-growing risks.”
Riccardo continued: “Fire and rescue services shouldn’t have to move fire engines and firefighters around vast distances while scrambling to provide adequate protection for the public.
“Under-resourcing adds huge pressure to the work of firefighters, who are often forced to push themselves beyond reasonable limits to keep the public safe. Crews are left exhausted or without adequate facilities when constantly moved around.
“In recent years, we have started to feel the impact of the climate crisis. The heatwave and wildfires of 2022 resulted in some of the busiest days for fire services since WW2, with Essex reporting one of the busiest 24 hours in its history as a service.”
The Fire Brigades Union is now calling for more funding from the incoming government.
Former Essex firefighter, Riccardo la Torre, said: “Instead of spending on trying to plug the gaps in a failing model, fire and rescue services should be investing in their workforces and calling for a reversal of the 30% cut to central government funding.”