A Fire Brigades Union leader is calling for a rethink over a controversial scheme to reduce the number of crew members able to man appliances.
Changes introduced by the Staffordshire Commissioner will see a reduction in the number from four to three for on-call firefighters.
But Martin Starkey, the regional chair and the brigade secretary for the Fire Brigades Union in Staffordshire, said theme will lead to additional pressures.
He said:
“In the time I’ve joined the fire service I’ve seen our on-call availability get worse and our ability to resource incidents deteriorate over that time.
“Really, the commissioner’s job is to make sure we have a properly resourced fire service – and I think he’s failing in that if I’m honest.”
Martin Starkey
On-call firefighters – known as retained crew – are often based in rural areas and respond to incidents in their local area. They are seen as cost effective as they are only paid for the hours while they are on duty.
Their use also helps address response times, with the Office for National Statistics reporting that the county is fifth lowest in a league table, with average response times of 11 minutes for dwelling fires.
Martin said:
“I think one of the reasons for that is because of our lack of on-call availability. This means our whole time appliances are having to travel further to get to incidents as they are covering larger areas to make up for the shortfall..
“What this does is if we can get a truck available with three people and count it as available it will get to the incident and stop the clock, but they can’t necessarily do the things that they would have been able to do with more crew.”
Martin Starkey
In 2010 there were 461 whole time and 444 on-call firefighters – but in 2022 those numbers had fallen to 312 and 325 respectively.
Martin said he was also concerned about the pressures crews will be under given many are based in rural areas and may known the people who will need their help.
“If I show up and I don’t go into house fires, members of the public will ask us why you aren’t going in and stopping the house burning down – that moral pressure starts being applied, but that pressure doesn’t just come from the public, it comes from ourselves as well.
“I don’t do this job to not go into the fire and deal with it, but that is the situation we are putting these crews in. It’s a moral dilemma of ‘do I break the rules imposed on us by the fire service or do I obey those rules and wait for the next appliance?’.
“House fires are just an example of this moral pressure that exists at any incident that involves people, property or animals.”
Martin Starkey
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams defended the change. He said the “three-rider pilot” was being launched in line with other fire and rescue services.
“It will see more opportunities for on-call firefighters to mobilise in specific situations such as bin fires, or to larger incidents in support of full crews.
“If they are first on the scene at larger incidents, there are actions they can safely take while awaiting another crew, such as setting up equipment, providing first aid or preventing further deterioration of the incident.
“The nature of any engagement would always take account of risk, for which they are professionally trained.
“Staffordshire’s on-call firefighters are fully engaged in reviewing this pilot which, if successful, will increase the number of incidents they can attend, therefore improving the safety of their colleagues and the public.
“I also expect it to improve the retention of the on-call firefighters themselves, who join to make a difference in their communities and want to be actively using their skills.
“His Majesty’s Inspectors have expectations of public service productivity – and the public also expect a rapid response to emergencies from their fire and rescue service. Our ambition is that teams of four and five can be supported by on-call colleagues in teams of three more frequently, improving the service for Staffordshire residents and businesses.”
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams
