Night-time firefighter cover could be cut at Black Country stations under new proposals
“When people dial 999, they expect a fire engine to arrive quickly, not to be told their local station has been downgraded or closed”
Fourteen fire stations across the West Midlands are at risk of cuts to resources in new proposals by West Midlands Fire Service.
The changes, affecting stations in Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, would reduce the number of firefighters and fire engines available at the stations, particularly at night, with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) warning the plans would leave communities across the region less safe.
The union pointed to the huge wildfires that destroyed homes in Stourbridge in summer this year.
West Midlands Fire Service has stressed that “no decisions have been made” and that “the proposals as they stand are just that – proposals”.
They include the removal of night-time cover from stations at Bloxwich, Willenhall and Kings Norton, a reduction in overnight availability at up to 11 further stations and the closure and relocation of Ward End Fire Station.
Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “West Midlands Fire Service is proposing to strip night-time cover from stations across the region, close Ward End and leave communities waiting longer for help in an emergency.
“We have just seen a summer of wildfires and major incidents across the West Midlands including the loss of 19 homes in Stourbridge.
“When people dial 999, they expect a fire engine to arrive quickly, not to be told their local station has been downgraded or closed.
“These proposals would put our members under greater pressure, leave fire crews covering larger areas with fewer resources, and put the public at risk. This is not acceptable and the FBU will oppose the plans.”
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesperson told the Express & Star: "West Midlands Fire Service can confirm that no decisions have been made. The proposals as they stand are just that – proposals.
"Nothing has been decided, nothing has been confirmed. Any suggestion to the contrary is unhelpful speculation which damages our ability to carry out a fair and open consultation. To comment on specifics ahead of confirmation of proposals by West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority for public consultation would be premature.
"The views of the entire West Midlands – our communities, staff and partners – will be crucial in shaping the service’s future and helping us make the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier."
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