Fire Brigades Union to rally in Oxford against proposed cuts to fire services
The protest is set to highlight concerns over safety and job losses linked to Oxfordshire County Council proposals
Firefighters will be protesting outside County Hall in Oxford this morning against proposals from Oxfordshire County Council that the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) say could compromise safety and lead to significant job losses.
The rally, which begins at 9am, will push for withdrawal of proposed changes to Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service, which have been described by the FBU as “cuts dressed up as improvements.”
The council is currently running a public consultation, open until 20th January, which includes a number of options that directly involve Rewley Road fire station in Oxford.
One key proposal would reassign firefighters from current roles to staff five new day-shift fire engines in other areas including Wallingford (or Crowmarsh), Faringdon, Witney, Bicester and Chipping Norton.
The plans also include removing the on-call fire engine from Rewley Road due to long-term low staffing availability and merging Rewley Road and Kidlington fire stations into a single base in north Oxford to improve response times.
In Thame, the second fire engine could be removed due to low availability and usage, averaging 17 annual incidents, while three on-call fire stations – Woodstock, Eynsham, and Henley – are under consideration for closure.
The council has stated that the proposals are intended to improve resource management and response capabilities across Oxfordshire.
The FBU say the proposals would reduce the guaranteed number of fire engines available at night in Oxfordshire to five, and could result in at least 42 redundancies.
Chris Wycherley, FBU executive council member, described the plans as “an attack on firefighters and communities,” warning they could compromise public safety and force firefighters into unsafe working hours.
He stressed that public response to the consultation so far has been limited, suggesting a lack of awareness about the potential impact.
“We’ve spoken to residents in places like Woodstock and Thame, where some of these proposals have drastic consequences, and they are rightly furious. They do not see this as improvement, they see it as a cut, and that’s exactly what it is,” Chris said.
The union has warned that if the council does not withdraw the proposals, strikes could follow.
Chris said: “This rally is to demonstrate the weight of feeling behind this issue. Ultimately, if decision-makers are unwilling to listen, the consequence of inaction is industrial action.
Mike Adcock, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service said: “No decisions have been made on any of the proposals because first we want to carefully consider the views of residents and firefighters during the ongoing consultation process.
“We remain committed to engaging with the FBU throughout the consultation period and beyond and encourage the union to continue engaging with us.”