Campaigners demand ‘vital’ rescue services stay at local fire stations

CAMPAIGNERS are ‘deeply concerned’ about the ‘downgrading’ of flood rescue services at local fire stations, which they say could increase response times in Melksham from 12 minutes up to an hour and a half.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is proposing to relocate its technical rescue units – that responds to flooding incidents – from Trowbridge and Chippenham Fire Stations to Swindon and Dorset.

Melksham Town Council has said that it is “extremely concerned” about the proposed changes, and at a meeting this week, resolved to write to the fire service to “strongly” object to the changes.

“If this goes through it really will have a seriously significant impact potentially when we have major incidents of a flooding nature,” said cllr Jon Hubbard.

Cllr Mike Sankey added, “Within the last 12 months we have seen deaths in the River Avon and also the Kennet and Avon Canal, and that should be a consideration with this issue.”

MP Michelle Donelan has written to chief fire officer, Ben Ansell, saying she is “extremely concerned” about the planned changes, saying they could delay response times and be a risk for firefighters. She says her constituency is prone to flooding and highlighted Melksham as an area for concern.

An online petition against the changes has been launched, and so far over 300 people have pledged their support. According to cllr Hubbard, the changes could increase the average response time to flooding incidents in the Melksham area from “12 minutes” to “somewhere in between an hour, to an hour and a half”.

One campaigner against the changes said,“These units are vital to our communities and will put lives in danger if they are moved to Dorset and Swindon. Our local area floods yearly, with it getting worse due to climate change. These units are used for flooding, rope rescues and other technical rescues. 

“These units are used a lot in our communities. By moving them so far away lives are put in danger, risk to property is increased, as well as the risk to firefighters.”

The petition states, “Removing equipment and training from the firefighters means that they will respond, but be unable to rescue people quickly and with the right tools. They will be forced to carry out dangerous rescues without the vital safety equipment they need.”

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that a review of its technical rescue provision has been completed and that a decision on the placement of these facilities – which are currently located at Chippenham, Trowbridge, Salisbury, Weymouth, Poole, and Stratton in Swindon – is now being considered internally.

The fire and rescue service say they believe the changes will offer “greater resilience” across its service.

In response to the concerns of campaigners, assistant chief fire officer, James Mahoney, said, “A strategic review of the technical rescue provision of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has been carried out. This considered risk and demand across the whole Service area; evidence from historical incident data; geographical station locations; and neighbouring Service capability. A decision on the placement of these facilities is now being considered internally.

“Technical rescue includes technical search, rescue from swift water, rescue from height, bariatric rescue, confined space rescue and large animal rescue capability. There are currently six stations providing differing aspects of technical rescue across the two counties of Dorset and Wiltshire. 

“In addition to these technical rescue stations, all fire stations have initial water safety equipment and training, and a large number of our stations also have wading team capability. The provisions at these six stations are not consistent, and most stations do not provide all of the capabilities listed above. As a combined Service, this is neither effective, efficient or resilient.

“Whilst technical rescue is not a funded statutory duty for the Fire and Rescue Service, we recognise the importance of having this capability commensurate with the risks faced within our communities across the whole of Dorset and Wiltshire. We are looking to enhance, not diminish, our capability, allowing us a more strategic approach to the positioning of the key elements of technical rescue – which will also add greater resilience by aligning the way in which all stations operate interchangeably.

“Staff and representative bodies have been briefed, and given the opportunity to contribute their views throughout and engage in this process, and we will be carrying out public consultation on our draft Community Safety Plan for 2021-25 from 17 February to 13 May 2021.”

To view the online petition, visit www.change.org/p/dorset-wiltshire-fire-authority-stop-the-removal-of-vital-rescue-equipment-from-wiltshire-fire-stations