FIREFIGHTERS have slammed the “disgraceful” decision to remove all full-time crew members from Cirencester Fire Station.

Senior fire service managers have suspended the current system and replaced it with part-time, or ‘retained’, crews “to comply with health and safety legislation”.

They said the decision was made as low numbers of full-time staff meant the station was becoming dangerous to operate. At the time there were nine full-time firefighters.

Staff were given 28 days notice before being moved and the decision came during an ongoing consultation running until January 4 which aims to gauge the public’s view on whether full-time fire-fighters should be removed from the Bristol Road station.

Members of the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) reacted angrily to the decision to remove firefighters before the end of the consultation, which they said was “totally undermined.”

FBU members took to the streets of Cirencester on Saturday, distributing leaflets and asking people to sign a petition. Regional secretary Trevor French said: “They say they are doing it to ensure legislative compliance with health and safety but that is just an excuse.

“The FBU put forward a number of alternatives which would have ensured compliance and that full-time cover would have remained available, but these were rejected. The union had registered a formal dispute and asked for an independent review, but the service has chosen to press ahead regardless.”

They believe cuts will affect emergency response times and the ability to deal with large-scale incidents.

County chief fire officer Stewart Edgar said the decision was made to comply with Regulation 6 of the Working Time Regulations 1998, which the previous system was in breach of.

“The FBU contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) with concerns about the shift pattern. The HSE then wrote to us regarding the working hours for crews and we have ensured we have made the changes required.

“The set up at Cirencester is not fit for purpose. We have a duty of care to our staff and to ensure their work/life balance is good. This decision boils down to protecting our staff and the public from harm, whilst adhering to employment law.”

Local FBU brigade secretary Scott Turner said: “By pressing ahead in this manner local managers have not followed the agreed industrial relations negotiating procedures. We have made our views clear to principal managers.  

"The union will continue to pursue all options available to us, including seeking formal legal advice. We will also be contacting the leader of the council and demanding that he reverse this decision.”

To sign the petition go to http://bit.ly/1VX2EWO