100 signatures reached
To: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Authority and Chief Fire Officer
STOP, THINK & REASSESS Dangerous Cuts to Firefighter Numbers
More than 15 years of cuts have left fire and rescue services across the UK dangerously under-resourced.
In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, this has already resulted in shortages of firefighters and fire engines.
Firefighter numbers across the UK have been slashed by over 12,000 since 2010, stripping away vital capacity.
Now, HIWFRS leaders propose a further £1.6 million cut from the frontline - a move that risks pushing a service already on its knees into critical failure.
The Fire and Rescue Service is already stretched beyond safe limits… any renewed wave of austerity poses a serious threat to both firefighters and the public.
We cannot - and must not - allow further cuts that would knowingly compromise public safety and the ability of firefighters to respond when lives are on the line.
We call upon the Chief Fire Officer and the Fire Authority to STOP, THINK & REASSES where the £1.6 million saving is made and protect the already struggling life saving service from further degradation.
In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, this has already resulted in shortages of firefighters and fire engines.
Firefighter numbers across the UK have been slashed by over 12,000 since 2010, stripping away vital capacity.
Now, HIWFRS leaders propose a further £1.6 million cut from the frontline - a move that risks pushing a service already on its knees into critical failure.
The Fire and Rescue Service is already stretched beyond safe limits… any renewed wave of austerity poses a serious threat to both firefighters and the public.
We cannot - and must not - allow further cuts that would knowingly compromise public safety and the ability of firefighters to respond when lives are on the line.
We call upon the Chief Fire Officer and the Fire Authority to STOP, THINK & REASSES where the £1.6 million saving is made and protect the already struggling life saving service from further degradation.
Why is this important?
If implemented, these cuts will:
• Increase response times across the service.
• Increase already unachievable workloads for members within our Officer section. Our Officer members are already working above their capacities, and this will only get worse with fewer numbers.
• Reduce resilience to incidents across the service with fewer fire engines to call upon.
• Undermine public safety and endanger firefighters' lives by forcing them to operate with fewer or delayed resources.
Firefighters are proud of the work we do within our communites. But we cannot protect the public properly if we are not given the tools and support to do so. Fewer firefighters and fewer fire engines mean slower responses—and in our line of work, seconds cost lives.
These cuts are so broad reaching that they will impact all communities across Hampshire and Isle of Wight.