Controversial plans to cut fire station services in Devon and Somerset have gone out to public consultation this week.

On Friday (June 28) the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority approved putting out to consultation proposals that could see eight stations across the area close, as well as mothballing a number of engines and converting fully-manned stations into part-time operations in a bid to save millions of pounds.

Six options have been proposed in a bid to save £8.4-million.

Under one of the options, both Tavistock and Okehampton fire stations could see their cover being reduced to just one fire engine each during the day.

Members agreed to approve the six options for consultation but with an amendment to ensure that the consultation process allowed the public to comment on elements of the proposals.

Cllr Sara Randall-Johnson, chair of the authority, said: ‘We, as members, want to know more and the only way to do that is to go out to the public and give everyone an opportunity to come forward with their ideas.’

However, unions have slammed the proposals as ‘not fit for purpose’ saying all they could see was the removal of resources.

Speaking at the meeting Jamie Leslie, brigade secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: ‘This proposal respresents the biggest cuts to front line services anywhere in the country and we cannot endorse them either as a union or an authority.

‘The service needs to look again at its plans and properly consult with the union. If part of the problem the service wants to address is the unavailability of on-call appliances, then the service needs to address this first, with a decent contract, fairer pay and better treatment of their vital staff, not by simply shutting stations and removing pumps.’

Ben Redwood from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Services Association added that his union accepted the need for change but that the proposals were ‘empty of creativity and how to use the facilities’.

He added his concern about the lack of information as to how the roving appliances would actually work and that they would be closing stations for something that hadn’t been trialled.

Explaining the rationale behind the proposals, chief fire officer Lee Howell said: ‘Even when we are at the maximum event we have more resources than we need.

‘I recognise these are controversial proposals and will create concern but we are trying to use the resources we have to improve public safety. We are investing in protection and prevention and are freeing up resources to make our on-call services more resilient.

‘Money is a factor but this isn’t just about money — it’s about more than that.

‘We are proposing to close a number of low risk, low activity stations, which are in close proximity to other fire stations. We have taken the view that these proposals to close low risk and low activity stations that attend very few numbers of incidents will mean our resources can be freed up better for prevention and protection.

‘We all know the main way to save lives is to prevent fires from happening in the first place. As a service, we have made great progress but we feel we can — and should — be doing more to make people and buildings safer. At the same time, we need to improve our ability to respond to emergencies and ensure we better match our resources to our risks. These proposals do just that.’

Following the meeting, the proposals went out for public consultation this week and will continue for 12 weeks until September 20. A final decision, if any, will be taken by the fire authority in November. Implementation of any changes agreed will start in 2020.

There will be a number of ways in which the public can give their views, including a series of public drop-in exhibitions. More information is available at www.dsfire.gov.uk

Despite uncertainty over the future of West Devon’s firefighting service, West Devon businesses have been rallying around their employees who are also on-call firefighters, with several businesses receiving recognition for the important role their staff play in providing Devon’s fire service.