Fire job losses won't be compulsory, say bosses

Between 70 and 80 jobs will be lost as the service tries to make up the shortfall over the next four years, with bosses running two trials which will see 30 fewer staff across 10 different stations to see how services are affected.

The trials are designed to help the service find ways of protecting its five-minute response time to serious incidents, and continuing its prevention and protection work in the community, in the face of multi-million pound cuts to its Government funding.

West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority Chair Councillor John Edwards confirmed the Authority's commitment to working with staff during negotiations around the detail of the trials at a meeting yesterday.

He said: "On this issue, as on all others, we are looking to work with the grain of our firefighters in protecting our communities.

"The trials will produce the evidence we need to consider any permanent changes in staffing to deal with another deficit in our budget of £3.5 million that we face in 2016/17.

"Any further reduction in posts will be achieved through natural retirement of existing firefighters - we remain totally committed to a position of no compulsory redundancies."

The service was hit with government grant reductions of £21m from 2011 to 2015 and a further £6m was reduced in 2015/16, while it is estimated there will also be a £14m reduction between 2016 and 2019.

During the trials, staff will be required to work more shifts at a flat, unpensionable pay rate to ensure enough people are on duty to cover demand.

The other model would see watches merged to provide a pool of staff .

If either is successful and then implemented it could save the service more than £3m each year.

If watches are merged it could save £3.8m, while if staff ratios are changed at each station it could save £3.4m.

Fire chiefs are committed to making sure the cuts don't affect their ability to deliver on their five-minute response time to major incidents.

Chief Fire Officer, Phil Loach, said: "These trials are designed to see how we can protect our five-minute response to incidents threatening life or property, as well as maintain our vital prevention work in the community and the important protection support we give to West Midlands' businesses.

"Over the last few years we have made significant and innovative changes to how we operate, and our highly professional staff have responded admirably."