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# Fire service to push ahead with reduced on-call crew sizes after trial
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/fire-service-to-push-ahead-with-reduced-on-call-crew-sizes-after-trial/
- Published: 2024-12-08T08:04:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-12-06T16:10:05.000Z
- Description: A trial which has seen reduced crew numbers for on-call firefighters across Staffordshire has been made permanent.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:49, News

A TRIAL which has seen reduced on-call firefighter crew numbers across Staffordshire has been made permanent.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the move had seen response times for emergencies improve since the measure was introduced as a pilot in June 2023.

The switch means on-call firefighters can attend incidents as a trio rather than as a team of four.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Glynn Luznyj said:

> “We will always strive to have at least four firefighters on a fire engine, however having a minimum of three on-call firefighters available to respond as an extra resource means that they can attend incidents quicker than the next nearest fully crewed appliance, which may be several miles away.  
>  
> “Time is critical at emergencies and having firefighters arrive earlier can help limit the escalation of an incident.  
>  
> “We recognise that at some incidents they will not be able to fully resolve the incident by themselves, but they can make important interventions in the time that the public would normally be waiting for a full crew to attend.”

However, the trial has not been welcomed by all and has faced criticism from the Fire Brigades Union.

But Mr Luznyj said that the move had been fully assessed.

> “We recently carried out a public consultation as part of our next four-year plan and 83% of respondents voted overwhelmingly in favour of us using our resources in this way. In addition, three staff surveys have also voted in support of this policy.  
>  
> “There have been some concerns raised by the representative bodies and so we have listened to these concerns and made changes to the incident types that crews of three can attend.  
>  
> “We’re confident that we now have a new policy that improves response times, maintains firefighter safety and also increases on-call firefighter morale.”

The new policy has come into immediate effect for on-call firefighters – full time engines will still be crewed by a minimum of four people.

Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams said:

> “I am supportive of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue’s decision to give the crewing in threes pilot the go-ahead, as it brings real advantages to both the fire crews themselves and our communities.  
>  
> “Crewing in threes allows the service to greatly improve the safety of the public. They will be able to attend more incidents, some which the team can resolve themselves and some where they will provide valuable support for other full teams.  
>  
> “It also builds up the on-call team’s experience, local knowledge and confidence.”