The Fire Brigades Union has revealed that firefighters turning up for shifts at Dorset and Wiltshire fire stations were alarmed to find fire engines missing this September.

The FBU says fire appliances disappeared from Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough fire stations on September 19 and throughout that week.

In August, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) had announced plans to cut fire engines and downgrade fire cover across the region.

The unions says the service has confirmed that these fire engines were removed as part of this programme of cuts, which the FBU has condemned as putting firefighters and communities at risk. However, it says firefighters were given no official notice that fire appliances were going to be removed on that date.

The DWFRS says firefighters and the union were kept informed. A spokesperson says: ‘Crews on each of the stations affected were engaged with at the beginning of the week the fire engines were due for removal and informed immediately following the removal of each vehicle, this was also communicated to local FBU officials.’

However, at a meeting of the Fire Authority on October 1, FBU representatives says it raised concern that these cuts have been made without consulting or communicating with fully or listening to the concerns of firefighters or the public.

A week after the removal of the fire engines, a fire was reported in a flat in Corsham. Enough firefighters for two fire engine crews responded, arriving at the fire station. However, the removal of the second fire engine meant that only one crew could be mobilised.

This meant a second fire engine had to travel from Chippenham, delaying the response, the union says.

Firefighters were able to successfully tackle the fire and rescued an occupant. However, Chippenham is one of the fire stations facing downgrading, meaning there will be no guaranteed fire cover at night.

The FBU says that disaster was ‘only avoided by luck’.

The DWFRS saysDorset and Wirlshire Fire and Rescue Service: ‘The first fire engine arrived in around eight minutes from the time of call, with a second appliance in around 13 minutes. Both within the target times expected and firefighters were able to successfully rescue an individual on their arrival.’

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said: ‘Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is clearly trying to get away with cuts by stealth. Axing fire engines and downgrading firefighter cover will hollow out any last resilience. The public, and the workforce, deserve a say in their service.

‘Fire service bosses must stop playing fast and loose with firefighter and public safety. The frontline is raising the alarm, and the fire authority must start listening.’

Val Hampshire, the union’s executive council member for the South West, said: ‘Firefighters were shocked to find fire engines had been removed from their fire stations. As we saw last week, firefighters are dangerously thin on the ground, with disaster only avoided by luck. Plans to slash fire cover will mean that there may be no back-up next time.

‘To prevent future tragedies, the service must return the fire engines and scrap plans to downgrade the service further.’

In a lengthy response the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘As with many public sector organisations, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service are facing significant financial challenges, and we have a programme of work in place to make sure we are sustainable for the future.

‘Following a comprehensive fire cover review, we have looked at the position, the number and type of our resources to make sure these meet the changing risk profile across our Service area – we need to make sure our resources are in the right place based on community need.’

It continued: ‘The detailed data analysis of seven on-call stations, informed the decision to remove the second fire engine at Corsham, Marlborough, Sturminster Newton and Wareham fire stations. The first fire engine will remain at these stations to ensure we can be there when our communities need us. The decision has also been made to remove the second fire engine at Poole fire station, which is crewed by wholetime firefighters. These decisions are made under the delegation of the Chief Fire Officer. Staff were advised of this work in February 2024, the decision on the removal of these second fire engines was taken in August and staff were then advised that these changes would take effect by October 2024.

‘Crews on each of the stations affected were engaged with at the beginning of the week the fire engines were due for removal and informed immediately following the removal of each vehicle, this was also communicated to local FBU officials.

‘As an example, in the week following the removal of the second fire engine from Corsham our Service Control Centre received reports of a fire in a premises in Corsham. We immediately mobilised crews from Corsham, who only had enough firefighters on duty to crew the single fire engine at the station, and a second crew from Chippenham. The first fire engine arrived in around eight minutes from the time of call, with a second appliance in around 13 minutes. Both within the target times expected and firefighters were able to successfully rescue an individual on their arrival.’

The DWFRS added: ‘Whilst the data suggested that the removal of some fire engines is the right thing to do, and this presents essential savings to help our financial challenges, this is also a programme of work that includes some reinvestment and will enable us to improve fire cover by increasing the number of wholetime firefighter posts at Westlea fire station and upgrading Amesbury and Dorchester fire stations from on-call only to on-call and wholetime.

‘Dependant on our financial settlement for 2025/26 we will review the proposal to remove the second fire engine at another three on-call stations – Sherborne. Portland and Wimborne. This review will happen in January 2025.’

The service concluded: ‘We will continue to keep local union representatives engaged and informed with this work.’