Alarm over fire cover

A SHORTAGE of firefighters means some Sussex retained stations are often out of action, leaving gaps in cover, fire union leaders have warned.

Hardest hit are single-engine stations such as Seaford, Burwash, Heathfield, Mayfield and Pevensey, raising concerns about the brigade's capacity to respond in the event of an emergency.

Union spokesman Steve Petch said a recent check of engines revealed up to a third were out of service because there was not enough crew to man them.

He said: 'It is all good and well having cover in Brighton and large towns like Eastbourne and Hastings but what about Seaford and Burwash? A fire is just as likely to happen there as any where else.

'The people of East Sussex are paying for a full fire service but are not getting it.'

This week union representatives visited Westminster to call for more money to bring retained firefighters' pay in line with their full-time colleagues.

Changing work patterns have also been blamed for the drop in the number of retained fire fighters. As people travel further away from their communities to work there is a smaller local workforce which has traditionally sourced crews.

A Fire Brigade spokeswoman said it recognised there was a serious shortfall in retained firefighters.

'In the past we have tried to recruit more retained firefighters and we have highlighted it is a serious situation, but at the end of the day our concern is can we get a fire engine to an emergency, and we always can.

'There has never been a time where we have been unable to get a fire engine to an incident.'