A REVIEW into the future of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service will result in approved changes to frontline services that could see the loss of more than 200 firefighter jobs across the county, including Alton where the number of retained firefighters is expected to be reduced from 20 to 14.

Last year, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service announced plans to save £5m by 2020 and cut more than 300 posts in a bid to tackle a “potential £16m gap in government funding”.

But after a public consultation, chief fire officer Dave Curry announced on February 24 final proposals on changes to frontline services which will see cuts scaled down to £4.1m.

While the ‘Planning for a Safer Hampshire’ review will not result in the closure of any of the fire service’s 51 stations, it does outline a raft of changes from April 1 to personnel and equipment.

Plans for Alton include reducing the number of on-call firefighters and altering vehicle provision in order to save £42,000 per year.

While Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service maintain that these changes will both save money and improve efficiency, ultimately to the benefit of all concerned, critics have described the proposals as “misleading” and say they could result in diminished coverage and response times.

A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue urged Hampshire residents not to be “deceived by claims of improvements”.

“We went through a dishonest consultation on fire service cuts in West Sussex last year,” the spokesman added.

“Predicted increases in deaths and property damage were hidden, and several unfounded assurances were given. The cuts took effect in April and it is now clear, as predicted, that the assurances were false.”

Retired firefighter Tony Morris added: “The half-truths and unfounded claims of ‘improvements’ in the Hampshire proposals are very similar to those we saw in West Sussex. Assurances about response times, fire engine availability and fewer fires have all failed to materialise. Some response times have trebled, availability has got worse, and building, vehicle, and chimney fires all increased last year.”

Located on Butts Road, Alton fire station serves a population of more than 31,400 in and around the town, is currently home to two large “enhanced” vehicles, and is staffed by 20 “retained” firefighters on call 24 hours per day seven days per week.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service estimates that the availability is at 98.7 per cent and an average first response time is under 11 minutes.

The agreed proposal is for the station to change to an ‘ABC Level 4’ crewing model which will see it house one “enhanced” and one first-responder vehicle, with a slimmed down staff of 14 on-call firefighters.

Under this new model, a fire service spokesman said the availability is expected to remain the same, with an improved first response time of nine minutes 31 seconds.

In neighbouring Alresford, which has a population of 12,290, savings of £10,000 are expected to be made by reducing the on-call firefighter number by one to 11 with the use of just one intermediate vehicle, using the ‘ABC Level 4’ crewing model.

However, Stop the Cuts campaigners described such claims as “a deception” because “the current response time is for proper fire engines with crews of at least four firefighters”.

Whereas future response times “will often be for a converted van with just two firefighters” which, while capable of handling 70 per cent of calls, cannot deal with the “most serious and most life-threatening incidents”.

Ultimately, as a result of the changes, the Stop the Cuts group says response times for “a proper fire engine, with a proper crew would be significantly longer” for incidents right across Hampshire.

In thanking all those who contributed to last year’s consultation, and especially to firefighters and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service staff, Hampshire Fire Authority chairman Chris Carter said: “We now move forward, accepting these final proposals which we believe will build on the successes of the past to deliver new and improved capabilities for the future.

“I welcome the next phase of the implementation of the final proposals from April.”

The decision to implement new crewing methods and capabilities – enhanced, intermediate and first response – will see the service evolve using cutting-edge technology, he added.

Chief officer Dave Curry said: “At the heart of these changes remains our commitment to keeping the residents of Hampshire and our firefighters safe. We will be introducing new capabilities throughout the county to ensure that our firefighters are fully equipped to deliver the best possible service to our communities.

“We will now embark on three years of implementation as we create a smarter, more efficient and more effective service for the residents of Hampshire.”