Firefighters cut by 1,346 while fire safety audits down 14%
The number of firefighters has been cut by 4% in the last year, figures published have revealed.
The number of firefighters (FTE) fell by 1,346, from 34,395 to 33,049, in the year to March 2017.
The number of fire and rescue support staff saw a 10% decrease, from 7,952 to 7,132
The number of fire safety audits of buildings is down by 14% compared to the previous year
Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Communities and Local Government, commented:
“These figures show fire services across the country are being cut to the bone.
“Firefighters do an incredible job, but are increasingly finding themselves overstretched and under-resourced.
“The government must reverse these cuts and give fire services the resources to keep our communities safe.
“As the Grenfell Tower tragedy showed, we urgently need to invest more in fire prevention.
“Fire services need more staff so they can carry out vital safety checks and ensure buildings are safe.”
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