Hundreds fewer firefighters in West Midlands than 10 years ago
There are hundreds fewer firefighters in the region than at the start of the decade, according to new figures.
More than 750 firefighter roles have been axed since 2010 and union bosses said years of cuts had left fire services in "crisis".
Figures released by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) showed the number of firefighters in the West Midlands had fallen by 24 per cent, with 465 fewer on duty than nine years ago.
There has also been a large drop in numbers in Staffordshire, where there are 276 fewer firefighters - a drop of 30 per cent. However, the total in the county has increased since last year. The total fell by 36 in the West Midlands from 2018.
Nationally there has been a 19 per cent cut in firefighter numbers since the turn of the decade. There have been signs the trend is reversing with a one per cent increase in the last 12 months but the union says recruitment has not gone far enough.
The FBU said as firefighter numbers had gone down fires had increased, with a 10 per cent spike in England over the last year
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "Fire and rescue services are in crisis after years of brutal cuts - and this year’s measly increase in posts is wholly insufficient to plug the gaps.
“We cannot allow firefighters’ life-saving work to go unrecognised. The Chancellor must fund firefighter recruitment and end the years of real-term pay cuts for firefighters. Our communities need more firefighters – and the Government needs to reflect the work they do in their pay cheques.”
Mr Wrack said the recent Derbyshire dam emergency showed fire crews were struggling to cope.
He added: "“The Whaley Bridge dam collapse saw fire and rescue services stretched to the limit. Firefighters were pulled from every brigade in the region, and from as far as Chichester and London
“If this Government is serious about tackling the climate emergency, it needs to invest in our frontline defences – and it is firefighters who are tackling wildfires and rescuing people stranded in flooding. Whaley Bridge will not be the last extreme weather event to stretch fire and rescue resources.”
Staffordshire Fire's director of response Glynn Luznyj said: “We understand the concerns of the Fire Brigade Union and continue to work closely with them to ensure that our service is as effective as possible at keeping our communities safe.
“We would like to reassure people that our firefighters are placed strategically around the county to ensure a fast response to any emergencies. We also have more than 300 on-call retained firefighters in addition to our full time firefighters who are committed to keeping people safe."
