Teachers in the Harrogate district will go on strike today — and firefighters could be next.

The district has seen a wave of industrial action in recent weeks involving rail, postal, nursing and ambulance workers.

Members of the National Education Union, Britain’s largest teaching union, are on strike today in a move that will affect many local schools. Today will also see no Northern train services operate on the Harrogate and Knaresborough line.

Gary McVeigh-Kaye, branch secretary of the NEU North Yorkshire, said picket lines were being organised at Grove Road Community Primary School in Harrogate and King James’s School in Knaresborough.

There is also the prospect of Harrogate district firefighters walking out after the results of a strike ballot this week revealed 88% of Fire Brigades Union members voted yes on a 73% turnout.

The FBU has given the government and employers until February 9 to come forward with an improved pay offer to avert what would be the first nationwide fire strike since 2003.

Read more:

• Why are Harrogate district teachers going on strike?
• Harrogate head torn between ‘head and heart’ over teacher strike

Harrogate is the only fire station crewed 24 hours in the Harrogate district and is likely to be affected by any action.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road

It is not known to what extent other local fire stations would be involved. Ripon is crewed from 8am to 6pm each day and on call outside these hours. There are 24-hour on call stations at Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Masham and Summerbridge plus a volunteer station at Lofthouse.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said:

“This is an absolute last resort for our members. The responsibility for any disruption to services lies squarely with fire service employers and government ministers.

A union official has said Harrogate firefighters are being used as guinea pigs in a shake-up of fire services in North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe confirmed her three-year blueprint for countywide fire services last week following a three-month consultation.

The changes include reducing Harrogate fire station to one appliance between 10pm and 9am, which would increase the town’s nighttime dependency on on-call firefighters in Knaresborough. However, the station will have enhanced cover during the day, when most fires occur.

The same changes will be implemented in Scarborough in three years time if the Harrogate pilot scheme proves successful.

Steve Howley, secretary of North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union said the changes lacked support by firefighters and councillors and would endanger lives.

Speaking on BBC Radio York, Mr Howley said:

“The Fire Brigades Union represent about 96% of firefighters in North Yorkshire and I can tell you now that none of our members are in support of these proposals

“We all think they are dangerous. We all think they will put firefighter and public safety at risk. Lives will be put at risk.

“They are using Harrogate as guinea pigs to trial these cuts because they are not confident that these are safe and these will deliver what they say they will deliver. It will lead to a real detrimental impact on public safety.”

Read more:

• Confirmed: Harrogate to have just one night time fire engine
• Majority support Harrogate fire station changes, consultation reveals

Mr Howley said the data behind the decision was “fundamentally flawed” because it was based on there being 100% availability of on-call firefighters. He added:

“For the last 15 to 20 years there hasn’t been 100% on-call availability. That number has dwindled and got worse in recent times.”

He said the union did not oppose better fire prevention initiatives but was “vehemently opposed to the removal of frontline public services to reinvest in some of these areas when it should be centrally funded by government”.

Ms Metcalfe said last week the changes were about a better way of operating rather than cuts, and savings will be reinvested in fire prevention work and boosting on-call fire stations. Boroughbridge, Knaresborough, Masham, and Summerbridge have on-call stations in the Harrogate district and there is a volunteer-run station at Lofthouse.

Her changes, which will be phased in, will see Harrogate have two fully operational appliances during the day but only one at night.

The station currently has one fully operational appliance and a smaller tactical response vehicle staffed, which are both staffed 24 hours.

Announcing her decision, Ms Metcalfe — a Conservative who was elected commissioner last year — said:

“Some areas of the service will change, and I know change can be unsettling, but I remain confident that the right people, with be in the right place, with the right equipment at the right time, to support everyone in North Yorkshire and York.”

“I have made these decisions to support the transformation of our fire and rescue service based on extensive evidence and from listening to what is important to you, which you said was increasing and enhancing prevention and protection work to stop incidents from happening in the first place”

Jonathan Dyson, chief fire officer for North Yorkshire, said Ms Metcalfe’s proposals provided the correct strategic approach to resourcing fire risk.

He said:

“Our strong focus on prevention and protection activities are the primary way for us to reduce risk in our communities.”

The majority of people support controversial changes to the number of fire engines based in Harrogate, according to consultation documents.

North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe confirmed yesterday Harrogate fire station will be reduced to one fire engine at night as part of a three-year blueprint for countywide fire services.

However, the station will have two fully operational appliances during the day rather than the current model of just one plus a smaller tactical response vehicle.

Ms Metcalfe’s decision followed a three-month consultation in which concerns were expressed that the loss of a second appliance from 10pm to 9am could put lives at risk.

But her 207-page consultation report, published yesterday, said 46% of respondents to an online survey supported the changes to Harrogate fire station whereas 40% oppose them.

The report, however, also said 53% of respondents whose closest fire station is Harrogate disagreed with the changes. Additionally, it highlighted opposition within focus groups held as part of the consultation.

It said:

“Those who supported the proposals did so on the grounds that they are evidence-based and represent a better use of resources in offering better capability during the day when needed.

“However, even if they understood the rationale behind it, most focus group participants ultimately opposed the proposals.

“The main worries were around the ability to provide an adequate nighttime response, especially to incidents requiring two or more appliances. Related to this, many questionnaire comments centred on the potential for more severe incidents at night, including house fires.”

Zoe Metcalfe and fire officials answer questions about her proposals.

Ms Metcalfe also suggested some people over-estimate the number of fires in North Yorkshire. She said:

“There is also some very different views of what and how high is the service’s demand versus the reality.

“The fact is that in North Yorkshire we are lucky that our service’s demand is low by comparison to the rest of the country. Moreover, what they attend has changed significantly, with fires making up a smaller proportion than before.”

The consultation, which ran for 12 weeks from May 23, 2022 to August 14, 2022, cost £30,000.

Savings made by the changes will be used to fund fire prevention work and boost on-call fire stations in rural areas.

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is set to face further scrutiny over plans to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe will face councillors at a special meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee next Thursday.

The plans, which are currently out to consultation, have already been criticised as “putting money before lives”.

The Fire Brigades Union also described the proposals as “seriously concerning”.

The plans would see Harrogate fire station continue to have two fire engines during the day, but just one between 10pm and 9am when fewer incidents usually occur.

The move would also mean some of the fire station’s 40 crew members are moved to different stations or roles.

Harrogate Fire Station on Skipton Road

A report to Thursday’s meeting said Harrogate is of a “predominantly low combined fire risk” and that this “does not warrant” two 24-hour fire engines.

Commissioner Metcalfe has also insisted the fire service would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” during the night.

Yet concerns remain that the move would increase response times if multiple emergencies occur during late hours and back-up vehicles have to travel further from outside of Harrogate.

Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, previously urged the public to reject the proposals which he said would “put lives at risk.” He said:

“The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner needs to fight for the correct funding from government, not simply mask underfunding by slashing services and providing the public of North Yorkshire with a second-rate emergency response service.”

Save £1.5m a year

Ms Metcalfe said the plans – which also include cuts to services in York and Scarborough – would save over £1.5 million a year, yet she insisted they are not cost-cutting measures.

She also said the savings would allow for investment in fire prevention.

Read more:

• Harrogate firefighters battle extreme heat as five fields go up in flames
• Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner

The proposals are part of the fire service’s Risk and Resource Model which sets out how it will deploy staff and equipment across North Yorkshire over the next three years.

The consultation will run until August 14 and residents are being urged to give their feedback online.

Commissioner Metcalfe said in a statement:

“The role of a fire and rescue service has changed and continues to change, with only 26% of our incidents last year relating to a fire emergency.

“We want to ensure we are addressing our current and future challenges and that we have the capacity to prevent and stop incidents happening in the first place.

“Inevitably, there are some areas where the setup of the service would change but I’m confident the right people, right equipment and the right support would continue to be available to everyone.”

To have your say go to www.TellCommissionerZoe.co.uk