Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service advice

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is urging residents to remain vigilant during the next round of strikes by firefighters on Wednesday (13 November)

The latest round of industrial action will be the fourth held by members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) since September, in opposition to the government’s proposed pension reforms.

With help from the public in reducing unnecessary 999 calls,
HFRS has so far managed to cope with the impact of the strike action.

But Assistant Chief Officer Neil Odin is reminding people that HFRS resources will again be significantly depleted by Wednesday’s action and for people to continue to take extra care.

He said: “We have been extremely grateful for the assistance of our communities in helping to reduce emergency calls during the periods of industrial action.

“We have dealt with relatively few incidents during the previous strike periods, but we cannot afford to be complacent as we are again only likely to have around 50% of our full capacity available to us.

“We would again urge the public to continue to take that extra bit of care at home, at work and on the roads to help us all stay safe during Wednesday’s industrial action.”

HFRS is reassuring people that 999 calls will be answered as usual but also warning that response times will inevitably be hit by the FBU strike.

ACO Odin added: “We would ask people to consider if there is a genuine need for a fire engine before they call 999 as calls may need to be prioritised where a life may be at risk.”

For advice on how to keep safe during industrial action, visit hantsfire.gov.uk.