The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is backing the latest firefighting restructuring plans for the county as it says the service has been underfunded for over a decade.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue is looking to create 20 more new wholetime firefighting positions while upgrading Grantham to 24/7.
It’s funding it by telling current full time firefighters they can no longer do night time shifts, something that Spalding’s wholetime crew currently do.
The fire service had previously told firefighters it would make Spalding and two other stations only crewed by full time staff five days a week, but has since launched a public consultation out on its new proposals.
The new plans have been backed by the FBU which said in a statement: “For many years, the FBU) both locally and nationally, has consistently called for greater investment in the fire and rescue service.
“Nationally, the past 14 years have seen devastating cuts, with almost 12,000 frontline firefighter posts lost across the UK. Since 2010, central government funding has been reduced by around 20 per cent, forcing many fire and rescue services to consider further reductions in firefighter numbers and, in some cases, the closure of fire stations.
“Lincolnshire was heavily impacted by cuts over a decade ago, resulting in a reduction in frontline wholetime firefighter posts. Since then, our wholetime, retained duty and control members have all felt the increasing pressure of maintaining an effective emergency response with fewer resources.
“Over recent weeks, prolonged dry weather has led to an unprecedented rise in fire incidents across the county. This has placed significant additional demands on operational firefighters and control firefighter staff. For our retained duty firefighters in particular, these pressures are even greater as they continue to balance their primary employment and family commitments while remaining available to protect and serve their local communities.
“The FBU in Lincolnshire welcomes the proposed increase in firefighter posts. This investment is long overdue and reflects what the Union has been campaigning for over many years.”
The previous proposals for change included specialist teams, such as boat and water ones based at Spalding, would move to those fire stations staffed by whole time crews 24/7.
The new proposals say that’s still the intention, but that it will vary between sites based on the need in particular locoations.
The FBU say this ‘should improve the availability and resilience of specialist responses across the county’.
The statement continues: “However, Lincolnshire remains a large, rural county that relies heavily on its retained duty firefighters.
“These dedicated professionals provide an essential emergency response to their communities, often making considerable personal sacrifices to do so.
“While the FBU successfully secured improvements to the national retained pay system two years ago, it still does not go far enough to properly recognise or reward the time, commitment and flexibility these firefighters provide.
“More must be done nationally to improve recruitment, retention and long-term support for retained firefighters, who remain an integral part of the UK’s fire and rescue service.
“The Fire Brigades Union will continue to campaign for sustained investment in the fire and rescue service. The demands placed on firefighters have evolved significantly in recent years. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, flooding and extreme weather events, while firefighters continue to respond to a growing range of emergencies.
“Our members are repeatedly being asked to do more with less.
“The proposed investment in Lincolnshire is a positive step in the right direction, but it must be viewed as part of a wider commitment to properly fund the fire and rescue service.
“The safety of our communities depends on ensuring fire and rescue services have the people, equipment and resources they need to meet both today’s risks and the challenges of the future.”
Meanwhile, politicians who spoke out against the no longer going forward proposed cuts to Spalding Fire Station have praised the new proposals.
South Holland MP Sir John Hayes said of the new proposals: “I made my views known and hopefully played a part. It is another example of how local people can come together for a good cause to make a difference.”
District councillor Mark Le Sage said: “I’m very pleased there has been some compromise.
“We’re not going to have a reduction in housing so we shouldn’t have a reduction in services keeping us safe.”
