Plans to cut Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service will “put homes, communities and public safety at risk" according to the fire union.

The Fire Brigades Union has warned that plans published this week threaten to downgrade fire stations across Wiltshire, reducing fire cover.

Eight fire stations are set to lose a fire engine, leaving many with just one, which the union says will remove the guarantee of firefighter availability between Swindon and Salisbury.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “Plans to cut Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service will put homes, communities and public safety at risk.

“Slashing resources and downgrading fire cover means people waiting longer for help, but every second counts at a fire. The fire authority must put public safety before cost-cutting and stop these dangerous cuts.”

Under plans, Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough face losing an appliance by the end of September. Further cuts could be made in Dorset in 2025.

A union spokesperson added: “This is despite the serious risks posed by the Corsham Underground, a vast series of mines, and the age of historic high streets such as Marlborough.”

The mines are a common site of emergency callouts, with the fire service having to cut one group out after they became lost for 10 hours.

READ MORE: Group trapped in Wiltshire mine rescued by fire service

The plans come amid existing concerns around callout times, which the union says are “longer than ever” in Dorset and Wiltshire at 10 minutes and 46 seconds in 2023. 

Due to staffing cuts, firefighters are currently being sent out in crews of just four firefighters instead of the safe standard of five.

A Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said that due to financial pressures the engine cuts were the “right thing to do”.

They said resultant savings could be reinvested by increasing the number of wholetime (full-time) firefighter posts at Westlea fire station and upgrading Amesbury and Dorchester from on-call only to on-call and wholetime.

They plan to start recruiting wholetime firefighters in the autumn.

The spokesperson 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. 

“There is a requirement for all fire and rescue services to review their community risk profile to provide value for money services to our communities.(Image: Newsquest)

“Following a comprehensive fire cover review, we are looking 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. “Fundamental to the fire cover review is maintaining, and where we can, improving, our response to emergency incidents, continuing to be there when our communities need us.

“Whilst the data suggests 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. 

“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 recruitment process for more wholetime firefighters is starting in the autumn, in addition to our continued campaigns to recruit on-call firefighters at stations where we need them.”