‘a service in a state of crisis’

The West’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claims the service is in a state of crisis.

Dave Roberts, FBU South West regional secretary, said: “This damning inspectorate report into Avon Fire and Rescue Service exposes a service in a state of crisis.

“The service has been rated inadequate at preventing and responding to fires. Response times are slower than the national average. This is an emergency.

“We have lost one in five firefighters since 2010 across the UK, and in October Avon’s fire authority announced that we will lose 40 more to brutal cuts. This austerity is leaving our service severely under-resourced, putting homes and lives at risk.

“The service is fundamentally lacking a crucial response strategy outlining how it will respond to a range of emergencies. This is despite the inspectorate raising an accelerated cause for concern in August stating that failure to collect information on risk is threatening public and firefighter safety.

“The report also points to an unacceptable culture where firefighters are unable to raise or challenge inappropriate and discriminatory behaviour. Senior leaders must start taking this seriously.

“The people of Avon deserve a fire service equipped to keep communities safe. Instead, our firefighters are working in extremely difficult conditions without enough resources or support. To bring our service back from the brink, we need urgent investment and leadership. Avon fire authority must reverse the decision to cut 40 firefighters from our region as the first step.”