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24
May 2022
Five Harrogate firefighters could lose jobs in plans to reduce service
Five Harrogate firefighters could lose their jobs under plans to halve the number of fire engines operating in the town overnight,
The Stray Ferret revealed yesterday proposals for the station on Skipton Road to operate just one fire engine at night, as opposed to the current two.
North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe has suggested the move as part of a three-month consultation on proposed changes to fire and rescue services.
The station would continue to be resourced for two fire engines during the day but it would have just one appliance from 10pm to 9am, when fewer incidents usually occur.
The move would also see the station lose its tactical response vehicle, which would be moved to an on-call station elsewhere in the county, and a self-rostering staffing system introduced.
At a commissioner public accountability meeting today, Jonathan Foster, interim chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said the reduction in posts would come from either retirements or redeployments.
He said:
Read more:
- Masham Police House to be sold as officers relocate to fire station
- Harrogate set to have just one fire engine at night
Mr Foster added that the changes were justified as the service’s modelling showed peak times were between 9am and 10pm.
The changes are part of Ms Metcalfe's Risk and Resource Model 2022-2025, which sets out how the fire service will deploy its people, equipment and resources.
Fire officials told today’s meeting that the proposals would help to save £1.5 million a year from 2025.
Mr Foster said:
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