United Firefighters' Union claim about decreased services scaremongering

31/3/95

Claims by the United Firefighters' Union that the Fremantle and Welshpool communities would be put at risk with decreased fire services was a totally irresponsible scaremongering campaign, according to Emergency Services Minister Bob Wiese.

The Minister said the decision by the Western Australian Fire Brigades Board for a temporary withdrawal of two fire appliances was to give firefighters essential training to enhance their skills and thereby provide a better service to the community.

"The WAFBB have assured me that there will be no increased risk to the community to temporarily withdraw the secondary appliance at Fremantle and Welshpool fire stations," he said.

"In the metropolitan area there is an initial response time of six minutes for first responding fire units to reach an incident and this will be maintained throughout the skills enhancement training program.

"In the event of a major incident other WAFBB resources can be dispatched immediately, including all firefighters undertaking training and the appliances can be brought back into service."

Mr Wiese said the WAFBB's mobilising procedures which had been tested over a number of years ensured that two fire appliances were dispatched to every property fire, rescue and hazardous material incident and this would remain unchanged.

"The union is making unsubstantiated claims that lives are being put at risk which is part of a smear campaign to create unnecessary and unwarranted concern in the community," he said.

"It is an abuse of their position to spread this sort of propaganda under the guise of public safety when the union was responsible for directing its members not to respond to alarm calls.

"Two elderly people recently died in a fire at a retirement home and for the union to make a directive for its members not to attend alarm calls is totally irresponsible and potentially dangerous."

Mr Wiese said the WAFBB had selected the period from April to September to conduct an additional training program for firefighters as statistics highlighted a drop by nearly a third in the number of incident call-outs.

"Only four officers will attend the training course at any one time and it is essential for firefighters to enhance their skills to help provide a better service to the community," he said.

The Minister said across the metropolitan fire district there were 126 firefighters available per shift and during the training period it would only be reduced by three people to 123 per shift.

There were 24 first response vehicles across the metropolitan area and they would be maintained throughout the training program.

Mr Wiese said the areas serviced by the Fremantle and Welshpool stations would have an additional two firefighters on the first responding fire appliance.

The Welshpool fire crews would be supported and backed-up by appliances from either Kensington, Canning Vale, Maddington or Belmont stations and the Fremantle fire crews  would be assisted by crews from Claremont, O'Connor or Spearwood stations.

Media contact: Mark Thompson 222 9595