Two public meetings on proposed changes to fire services in Oxfordshire this week
The county council are asking firefighters and residents to share their views on plans
A public meeting on proposed changes to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service will take place in Eynsham tonight, followed by another in Henley on Thursday.
They are part of a consultation period from the county council after putting forward plans they believe will improve the service.
Chief Fire Office Rob MacDougall said: “We’ve seen a reduction in our on-call fire engine availability over a number of years, which is leading to increases in our response times.
"What we’re looking at is how we can reallocate some of our resources, some of our firefighters into the daytime, which will match our resources better to the demand and risk we see as a Fire and Rescue Service.”
The proposals also include relocating Rewley Road fire station to a new location, and closures of on-call fire stations in Eynsham, Woodstock, and Henley due to persistent low availability.
However, many firefighters have expressed strong disapproval of plans, calling them "cuts dressed up as improvements," and organising a rally outside the council building last month.
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) representatives have also warned that industrial action could follow if the council continues to push the changes.
Rob MacDougall acknowledged that it is a challenging conversation to have, but said they are committed to engaging with the firefighters and local communities through these meetings and their 'Let's Talk' website.
“Listening to the concerns and ideas that all of our teams and our colleagues have is incredibly important,” he said. “We’ve been very clear that these are proposals, this is a consultation. We have not made any predetermined decisions, we are listening.
"The whole point of the consultation is to understand different ways we might achieve the positive outcomes we want for the Fire and Rescue Service.”
He added: “Nobody wants to see industrial action - not us, not the Fire Brigades Union, not our firefighters and not our communities.
"As we move through this process, we’ll be talking to all those partners to negotiate and consult towards the best solutions, hopefully avoiding even the threat of industrial action.”
The consultation period ends next week.