Firefighters rally over station closure plans

Firefighters are staging a mass rally in Kent in a bid to stop fire station closures and protect dozens of jobs.

The demonstration, organised by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), is taking place outside Maidstone County Hall on Tuesday over fears that 63 jobs could be cut.

Proposals put forward by Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) include closing four on-call stations and removing on-call fire engines from four others.

Chief executive Ann Millington said that the proposals did not change its commitment to the public and it was about "spending money effectively" while facing financial pressures.

Millington added: "The welfare of our firefighters remains paramount in any considerations for forward-planning."

The proposals include moving two fire engines from Dartford and Thames-Side overnight to create three additional daytime engines.

Additionally, there are recommendations to close four on-call stations at Wye, Chilham, Westerham and Cliffe.

KFRS is also suggesting the removal of on-call fire engines from stations in Herne Bay, Deal, Faversham and Tunbridge Wells.

Plans to close five on-call fire stations were scaled back to four, with Grain removed from the list and a 12-month review was added.

However, the FBU warned that if the proposals went ahead, it would "critically undermine emergency response across the county".

General secretary Steve Wright said that firefighters were protesting because the suggested cuts "represent a fundamental betrayal of public safety"

"Our members will not accept this and our rally on Tuesday is a show of strength that management should not ignore," he said.

Wright called for the proposals to be reversed, adding that future industrial action "could not be ruled out".

The plans are to be discussed at a meeting of the Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Authority (KMFRA) on Thursday, when members will vote on launching a public consultation.

If approved, residents in Kent and Medway will be encouraged to take part in an eight-week consultation.

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