Deeside Fire Station staffing model remains intact following Fire and Rescue Authority vote

Proposed changes to reduce staffing at Deeside fire station from a wholetime 24/7 model to a day crewing model have been rejected.

During an extraordinary meeting held today, Monday, 18th December, members of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) voted 13 to 11 against the proposals.

The decision follows a thorough public consultation conducted from July to September as part of an Emergency Cover Review.

The review initially put forward three options, aiming to increase cover in rural areas.

One controversial option proposed would see Deeside and Rhyl Fire Stations transition from a full-time model to on-call coverage during night hours.

This would have involved changing the duty systems at those stations and transforming rural stations like Corwen, Dolgellau, and Porthmadog into daytime staffed stations, potentially leading to job cuts.

The Fire Brigades Union had warned that this would impact firefighters’ ability to keep people and homes safe in two of the region’s busiest areas, as well as decreasing capacity across North Wales at night.

Although the FBU presented a fourth option, it was not included in the consultation process.

Dylan Rees, Chair of the Fire and Rescue Authority, emphasised the importance of considering all viewpoints and available information for a fair and balanced decision.

In the meeting, members discussed an enhanced version of Option 1, labelled Option 1a, which proposed increased emergency cover in South Denbighshire, South Gwynedd, and Anglesey.

They also considered independent legal advice regarding the risk of a judicial review, focusing on the legitimacy of the public consultation process and the implications of not adhering to public opinion and professional advice.

Following a detailed analysis and consideration of feedback from the consultation, the members decided today not to progress with any proposed options.

The decision ensures continuity in emergency cover levels and the safeguarding of firefighter jobs and fire stations.

Dylan Rees said: “First and foremost, the primary aim of the Authority is to protect the people of North Wales and ensure we can provide the best level of emergency cover across the whole of the region.

“Members considered all the information and evidence before voting on the way forward. After careful deliberation of Option 1a, which was an enhanced version of the option favoured by the public during the consultation, the decision was taken not to progress with that option which sought to improve emergency cover in rural areas, and to continue providing the same level of emergency cover as currently provided to the public in North Wales.

“Members formally rejected Options 2 and 3 presented in the consultation.

“I would like to thank everyone who took part in this consultation and for providing valuable feedback to help Members make a final decision.”

Chief Fire Officer Dawn Docx said: “I would like to echo the Chair’s thanks to the public for taking part in the consultation and I would also like to thank Fire Authority Members for taking the time to consider and weigh up all the options.

“I am pleased that now an agreement has been reached in relation to the level of emergency cover we can agree on our budget for 2024/25. On that basis, we can move forward to plan for the future and ensure that we can provide the best possible service to our communities.

“I am also heartened by the fact that we will be able to achieve this without the loss of any firefighter jobs and without the loss of any of our fire stations.

“We now will turn our attention to working with our stakeholders to explore how we can work together within our budget to provide alternative improvements to emergency cover that meet the expectations of Authority Members.”

Duncan Stewart-Ball, Fire Brigades Union regional secretary for Wales said:

“Today marks a victory for firefighters and the communities they serve, as the plans to downgrade Rhyl and Deeside fire stations have been scrapped. This is the result of months of organising, lobbying and protesting, with hundreds of firefighters and residents of North Wales coming together to save their fire service.

“The incredible solidarity we have seen during this campaign has shown just how valued the work of our firefighters is by the people they protect.”

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:

“This outcome is the result of months of hard work and campaigning by firefighters and the wider community across north Wales. The FBU will make sure that the voice of firefighters continues to be heard, and will fight for our services to receive the funding they desperately need.”