News

Firefighter ‘snubbed for 20 second gap’

August 31, 2010

A trained firefighter was turned down for a job as a retained officer because he lives 20 seconds outside the catchment area.

Malcolm Dyer, a firefighter of 29 years’ experience in Cornwall, claims he was turned down because the journey from his present home in Sunninghill Road is three minutes and 20 seconds to Ascot station in Station Hill.

He says he was told by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) he lived 20 seconds too far away.

All retained – part-time – firefighters must live within three minutes of their fire station.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead councillors say the situation is a farce, particularly as the service has been calling for more retained firefighters to man the station.

Last year RBFRS announced plans to close Windsor Fire Station as part of a restructure of the Berkshire service.

Windsor is one of several stations, including Ascot, which provide cover for Bracknell Forest and concerns have been raised by Bracknell councillors about the station in Windsor being closed.

Members of the Royal Borough have already lobbied the Government about running their own fire station, but have been turned down.

They say RBFRS’s refusal to allow an experienced firefighter to become a retained officer shows serious questions have to be asked.

Councillor Phillip Bicknell, the Royal Borough’s lead member for public protection, said: “This whole situation makes no sense, but then a lot of the decisions the RBFRS have made are the same.

“At a time when the fire service is actively looking for retained firefighters, they should not be introducing bureaucratic hoops for people to jump through.

“The Conservative-led council [in the Royal Borough] is still working hard to see how we can control the activities of the fire service. A radical shake-up is needed.

“By achieving this we will make sure that we encourage people to become firefighters, as well as maintaining frontline services such as Windsor and Ascot fire stations.”

The fire service declined to comment on the story.

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I understand they might have legislation and have to draw the line somewhere, but it does sound like in this case an exception should be made from the information provided... of course, we also don't know the full story.

CMA
01/09/2010 at 19:15

This is ridiculous, a fully trained fireman being turned down for 20 seconds. Depending on time of day and traffic conditions it is possible that he could travel from his home to the station more quickly than someone living closer.