Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service is at risk of losing eight fire engines and two fire stations under new proposals put forward by the local fire authority, according to the Fire Brigades Union.
The union claims the Bucks fire service has already undergone some of the most severe cuts in the country, losing over a third of its firefighters between 2010 and 2024. Any further reductions, they warn, would seriously undermine public safety.
Mitch Wallace, the union’s secretary for Buckinghamshire, called for a renewed focus on securing investment to rebuild the service and to recruit and retain more firefighters. He emphasised that current fire crew shortages “put lives at risk.”
Chris Wycherley, a member of the union’s council for the broader Southern region, echoed these concerns. He argued that fire services “have been hollowed out by systemic underfunding and short-sighted mismanagement.” Wycherley added, “Every closure and every cut leaves communities more vulnerable and erodes response standards further.” He called for more investment and sustained funding to “keep firefighters and the public safe” and to avoid “a dangerous race to the bottom.”
Union general secretary Steve Wright pointed to a recent incident this summer when firefighters from across the country were called to the South Coast to help tackle a wildfire, highlighting the strain caused “due to a lack of resources.” He warned that losing resources locally not only threatens the safety of residents but also impacts fire coverage nationwide. Wright stressed, “Cuts kill,” and called for “an end to this dangerous austerity.”
The Fire Brigades Union continues to urge the local fire authority and government to reconsider the proposed cuts in order to maintain vital emergency services and protect communities across Buckinghamshire.
https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/25517878.buckinghamshire-fire-service-face-funding-cuts/?ref=rss
