'No firefighter should be put in this position': Cambridgeshire firefighters protest crews of three

Firefighters in Cambridgeshire held a rally outside a meeting of the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority on Wednesday (4) protesting a ‘dangerous’ reduction to fire crews.

Since January 1, 2023, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has cut the number of on-call firefighters attending incidents in the county to three per crew. A minimum number of five firefighters are recommended to respond to incidents where lives are at risk.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has condemned these lower crewing levels, with 88% of members who are on-call firefighters in the region signing a letter to the service opposing the new practice.

A crew of three firefighters in an appliance (fire engine) means there is one driver, one officer overseeing operations, and one crew member. Firefighters are trained as crews of four or five, with roles assigned within these larger teams.

CFRS argues that smaller crews will mean that fire engines arrive at incidents ‘several minutes faster’. However, there is no evidence that this reduces response times since a crew of three must wait for additional crews to arrive to tackle a serious incident.

Mark Harriss, FBU Cambridgeshire brigade secretary said: “Every second counts in an emergency, and fires can escalate quickly.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is putting lives at risk by sending out crews who are unable to rescue people safely.

“If your house is on fire, you expect a fire engine to be able to help. You don’t expect three firefighters to arrive and wait for back-up.

“The service is cutting our crews because we’re facing a crisis in recruitment and retention. Making the job far more dangerous and stressful will only make this worse. Fire service employers must put a stop to this dangerous practice and staff our service properly.”

Callum Hodgkin, FBU Cambridgeshire brigade organiser: “Firefighters sign up to protect people’s homes and save lives, not to watch buildings burn.

“Fires can change quickly, so you never know what an incident is like until you arrive at the scene. With a crew of three, you aren’t equipped to safely tackle a serious incident like a house fire. You must wait for another crew to arrive.

Firefighters in these crews face an impossible choice: wait outside a burning house or risk their jobs and lives by going in. We are proud to serve our communities and feel a moral duty to save lives. Sooner or later, this policy will end in tragedy. No firefighter should ever be put in this position.”