AT some stations the number of fire fighters on shift during the day or night could be reduced by as much as a half.

It is hoped that many of these changes will reduce response times as well as reduce costs to the service.

Fire fighters are classed as immediate (on site in the event of a fire) on-call (also known as retained, based at home but able to respond within five minutes).

There will be three different types of vehicle available to the new Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service fleet.

Traditional fire engines weigh 18 tonnes and can carry up to six fire fighters.

Some traditional fire engines replaced with an intermediate vehicle which can transport two to five fire fighters.

The number of fire fighters on board will depend upon the severity of the incident. They will have greater water carrying capacity, larger ladders and additional rescue equipment (including medical equipment).

Others will be replaced with a smaller first response vehicle, which can carry two to four fighters. They will be equipped to respond to a range of incident from small rubbish fires to larger incidents, such as fires in building.

At Redbridge Station there will be no immediate change.

At St Mary’s there will be no change to the number of immediate fire fighters but there will be no on-call fire fighters either day or night. Two of their three traditional engines will be replaced with one intermediate vehicle and one first response vehicle.

In Hightown the number of immediate fire fighters will be increase from 12 to 14 during the day, but reduced from 12 to seven at night. The station will gain a second intermediate vehicle.

  • Eastleigh Fire Station’s on-call capability is expected to be reduced by a third overnight. It could be cut from 19.75 on-call fire fighters to 13 both day and night. The number of immediate fire fighters will be increased however, from seven to nine.

The station will see two of its three traditional engines replaced with one first response vehicle.

  • There are two options available for Winchester Fire Station.

Option one sees the number of immediate fire fighters reduced by half from 28 during the day, and there will be no immediate fire fighters overnight at all, while the number of on-call fire fighters will increase from 12 to 14 both day and night.

The average first response time is expected to increase by four and a half minutes.

Option two sees the number of immediate fire fighters reduced by half from 28 during the day, with two immediate fire fighters overnight. Meanwhile the number of on-call fire fighters reduce from 12 to 10 both day and night.

Both options one and two see of one of the traditional engines replaced with a first response vehicle.

The average response time will increase by 20 seconds.

  • Fareham Fire Station will see the number of on-call fire fighters increase from 12 to 13 and the size of the second of their traditional engines replaced with a first response vehicle.

 

  • There are proposed two options for Gosport Fire Station.

Option one sees no overnight immediate fire fighters but the number of on-call fire fighters both day and night increases from 13 to 18.

Option two sees the number of fire fighters on-call both day and night reduce from 13 to 10 while the there will be two immediate overnight fire fighters.

Both options one and two see one of the traditional engines replaced with a first response vehicle and an intermediate vehicle.

The average response time at night is expected to increase from 5 mins 36 secs to 9 mins 45 secs.

  • Romsey, New Milton, and Lymington fire stations will see the number of on-call fire fighters will be reduced from 20 to 14 both day and night. The second of their traditional engines will be replaced with a first response vehicle.

The number of on-call fire fighters in Ringwood is reduced from 20 to 13 and the number of their trucks cut in half from two to one.

  • Fordingbridge sees the number of on-call fire fighters reduced from 15 to 10.

At Lyndhurst the number of on-call fire fighters is reduced from 15 to 13.

  • At Botley, Stockbridge, Sutton Scotney, Portchester, Droxford, Brockenhurst, Beaulieu, the number of fighters will be reduced by a third, from 12 to eight, and the vehicle will be replaced with a first response vehicle.

At Wickham, Alresford, Bishops Waltham, Hythe, Totton and Burley the number of on-call fire fighters is reduced from 12 to 10. There are no immediate fire fighters. The truck at each of those stations will be replaced with a first response vehicle.

  • At Hardley, the number of on-call fire fighters will be reduced from 12 to 10.

At Andover the number of on-call fire fighters will increase from 12 to 13, and the second of their two trucks will be replaced with an intermediate vehicle and a first response vehicle.

  • Basingstoke fire station will see the number of vehicles in their fleet increase but the number of immediate fire fighters both day and night reduce by from 18 to 15, and the number of on-call fire fighters reduced from 15 to 10.