PROPOSED cuts to fire and rescue cover in the county will go out to public consultation.

The cuts could see stations shut, appliances lost, fire-fighter redundancies, and back up support for serious incidents stretched.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority today (Thurs) backed the cuts going out to consultation.

The cuts are proposed to help the service meet a budget shortfall rising to £4.7m within three years.

A draft Community Risk Management Plan compromises response and back-up times in identifying stations at Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard, Kingsland and Whitchurch for cuts in cover.

Kingsland and Whitchurch stations could close if appliances cannot be withdrawn from either Leominster or Ross.

As drafted the cuts mean:  

  • Hereford station losing one of its two whole time fire engines bringing immediate response cover down to a single engine with another engine on-call. Twenty-two full-time fighter jobs would be lost and £767,650 saved.
  •  Bromyard station losing one of its two on call appliances to save £44,500 with five on call fire-fighter posts lost.
  •  Kingsland station closing with 12 on call fire-fighter jobs going to save up to £98,000.
  • Ledbury station losing one of its two on call engines and eight on call fire fighter posts saving £51,700.
  •  Leominster station losing one of its two on call engines and five on call fire-fighter posts saving £39,900.
  • Ross station to lose one of its two on-call engines and seven on call fire-fighter posts to save £44,400.
  • Whitchurch station to close losing 11 on call fire-fighter posts and saving up to £89,200.

More soon.