The Fire Brigades Union says cuts will place lives at risk

DWFRS is planning to downgrade night cover at Chippenham and Trowbridge fire stations and cut eight fire engines by April next year, including second pumps at Corsham and Marlborough.

Union leaders have launched petitions opposing the cuts, with one in the Westbury area having already attracted more than 530 signatures.

Val Hampshire, Fire Brigades Union executive council member for the South West, said: “Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is in desperate need of investment, but instead faces another round of devastating cuts. This is completely unsustainable and will only deepen a crisis in firefighter and public

Trowbridge fire station could lose guaranteed night dover under the proposed cuts. (Image: Trevor Porter)

“Every second counts when it comes to a fire. Fewer firefighters on shift and fewer fire engines available will put lives and homes at greater risk. 

“The fire authority and fire service must stop these dangerous cuts in their tracks and push for the funding Dorset and Wiltshire urgently needs.” 

Eight fire stations across Wiltshire and Dorset, including Corsham and Marlborough, are set to lose a vital second fire engine, leaving many with just one appliance.

This is despite the serious risks posed by the Corsham Underground, a vast series of mines, and the age of historic high streets such as Marlborough, the union said.

Under the plans, Chippenham and Trowbridge also face losing night-time cover, meaning there will be no firefighters with guaranteed availability to respond to incidents between Swindon and Salisbury. 

A spokesperson for DWFRS said: “Following a comprehensive fire cover review, we are looking at the position, the number and type of our resources to make sure these meet the changing risk profile across our service area – we need to make sure our resources are in the right place based on community need.

“Fundamental to the fire cover review is maintaining, and where we can, improving our response to emergency incidents, continuing to be there when our communities need us.

“Whilst the data suggests that the removal of some fire engines is the right thing to do, and this presents essential savings to help our financial challenges, this is also a programme of work that includes some reinvestment and will enable us to improve fire cover by increasing the number of wholetime firefighter posts at Westlea fire station and upgrading Amesbury and Dorchester fire stations from on-call only to on-call and wholetime. 

“The detailed data analysis of seven on-call stations, informed the decision to remove the second fire engine at Corsham, Marlborough, Sturminster Newton and Wareham fire stations.

“The first fire engine will remain at these stations to ensure we can be there when our communities need us.

“The decision has also been made to remove the second fire engine at Poole fire station, which is crewed by whole-time firefighters.

“Although Poole fire station will maintain the first fire engine, crewed by our whole-time firefighters as well as retain the third fire engine crewed by on-call firefighters. These decisions are made under the delegation of the Chief Fire Officer and all changes will take effect by April 2025.

“Dependant on our financial settlement for 2025/26, we will review the proposal to remove the second fire engine at another three on-call stations – Sherborne, Portland and Wimborne. This review will happen in January 2025.  

“The recruitment process for more whole-time firefighters is starting in the Autumn, in addition to our continued campaigns to recruit on-call firefighters at stations where we need them.”