Battle over fire station hours

Managers say the changes would make better use of resources

A campaign is under way to halt plans to introduce part-time staffing at two fire stations in west Wales.

Mid and West Fire and Rescue Service is to look at ending the 24-hour manning of its Haverfordwest and Pontardawe stations.

It says it is part of a wider review aimed at putting more resources into fire prevention and community safety.

But union leaders claim it would lead to longer response time to emergency calls.

Removing 24-hour coverage would put up to 10 minutes on response times, so the increased risk to life is obvious Neil Macpherson

Some stations in the brigade's area are manned around the clock, and others just during the day.

According to service managers, fire fighters at Haverfordwest, the only station manned 24-hours-a-day in Pembrokeshire, attend less than half the number of calls of most other full-time stations.

They say it is the same situation at Pontardawe where the crew responds to an average of 500 calls a year compared the 2,530 dealt with by Swansea Central.

'Crucial time'

They say there is a case for manning both stations just during the day - when most calls are made.

Retained fire-fighters would be on standby for any emergencies during the night.

But Fire Brigade Union county secretary Neil Macpherson said the move would be a recipe for disaster.

"Removing 24-hour coverage would put up to 10 minutes on response times, so the increased risk to life is obvious," he said.

"The most crucial time during a fire is the first five minutes, which is when people have the most chance of being successfully rescued.

"It hugely decreases the likelihood of an effective response."

He said the stations covered a scattered rural population making it difficult to get to certain areas quickly.

The changes are outlined in the brigade's Integrated Risk Management Plan which the public have until 1 November to comment on.

Haverfordwest councillor Mark Edwards believes the move is a step backwards.

'Balancing resources'

"The delay of retained fire fighters reaching the station during the night could be the difference between life and death," he added.

Swansea Central, the brigade's busiest station, may get extra fire fighters under the plan.

A spokeswoman for the brigade said the proposal was about balancing resources with activity levels.

"The plan enables us to target our resources better," she added.

The changes in the plan would be the second phase of a shake-up in services.

A campaign was launched earlier this year to fight the relocation of the emergency crash tender from Llanelli to Carmarthen to give Powys extra cover.

Despite opposition from the union, councillors and Llanelli's AM and MP, the move went ahead.