Budget cuts: Leura fire engine unable to respond

There was one fewer Fire and Rescue NSW appliance available to respond to emergency incidents in the upper Blue Mountains this afternoon following a decision to temporarily close Leura Fire Station between 2pm and 4pm this afternoon.

The decision by Fire and Rescue NSW management to reduce the number of fire and rescue appliances in the Blue Mountains was the result of a new staffing practice, introduced in late 2012, following emergency service budget cuts by the NSW Liberal Government.

The closure makes Leura the third fire station in the upper Blue Mountains to have been temporarily closed in the last month, with Blackheath and Mt Victoria previously impacted.

Fire Brigade Employees’ Union country sub-branch secretary Tim Anderson said that rather than ensuring all fire stations had adequate staff numbers, management were robbing the Katoomba community to fill gaps elsewhere in the Blue Mountains.

“Firefighters from Katoomba Fire Station, which operate the only permanently staffed FRNSW appliance in the upper Mountains, were instead based at Leura for the duration of the temporary closure today,” Mr Anderson said.

“FRNSW did not have an adequate number of firefighters available at Leura to allow the safe operation of that appliance, but rather than bring extra firefighters in to fill the gaps, they are choosing to rob neighbouring communities of resources.

“While the specialist rescue appliance from Katoomba was still available to respond to fires and rescue incidents, response times would have potentially been delayed.

“Worryingly, there was one fewer FRNSW appliance available to respond to any emergency situations that may have occurred in the Blue Mountains.”

Mr Anderson said that the reduction of resources at Katoomba was covered by local retained firefighters — on call firefighters not based at the fire stations full time.

“These highly trained professionals have the same skills and experience as their full time colleagues, however the community needs to understand that response times can be slightly delayed as retained firefighters are required to attend the fire station from their home or workplace before responding to incidents,” he said.

Further information about the practice of closing fire stations rather than using off-duty firefighters to fill staffing gaps is available at fbeu.net/cutscostlives.