Six fire stations and circa 40 jobs to save £1.5m
A consultation has been launched into the future of fire services in Harrogate and other north Yorkshire towns.
The local fire and rescue service is looking at a number of options including reducing the size of vehicles, smaller crews and a mix of retained and part-time staff.
Steve Howley of the Fire Brigades Union condemned the proposals and said he had ‘serious concerns’ for his members and local people.
He said to the BBC: "The reductions to the service being proposed are massive - 42 posts is around a quarter of what we have now."
Chief Fire Officer Nigel Hutchinson said the changes made sense because demand for services have fallen by a third since 2005.
"There will be fewer full-time jobs,” he said. “But I am hopeful, if these proposals are accepted, we should be able to implement them without the need for compulsory redundancies."
The public consultation runs until October with a final decision due in December.
Original sources
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
BBC York and North Yorkshire
Harrogate Informer
