TAMWORTH fire station is at the centre of a union feud over claims Fire and Rescue NSW is robbing regional stations to staff the city’s 24-hour roster.
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The Leader has been told the Fire Brigade’s Employees Union (FBEU) is furious amid moves to transfer firefighters from seven regional stations, including Glen Innes and Inverell, to Tamworth for a 24/7 roster.
The union claims Fire and Rescue NSW executives have said the rostering of Tamworth station was only “conditional” if the firefighters from the regional stations were removed.
In a statement, FBEU State Secretary Leighton Drury hit out at The Nationals.
"Either Minister Troy Grant intervenes to deliver the promised staffing upgrade, or local MP Kevin Anderson takes responsibility for this back flip,” he said.
“FRNSW have confirmed upgrades are due to be completed on December 8, with 24-hour staffing to be delivered from December 12, as planned, giving the public a greater sense of safety,” he said. “This means the number of FRNSW Firefighters in Tamworth will double.”
The union is also concerned Inverell and Glen Innes would be short staffed.
“(It) means a 25 per cent cut in the number of permanent firefighter jobs – and the loss of over a quarter of a million dollars per annum - from the already under-resourced Northern Tablelands electorate,” a union letter stated. “The proposed transfers are bad for the local communities not only in terms of service delivery, but also economically.
FRNSW Assistant Commissioner Rob McNeil said emergency response times in Glen Innes and Inverell would remain “unchanged” and wouldn’t compromise safety.
“The station officers at both these locations work business hours Monday to Friday, and they are required to wait for retained (on call) firefighters to arrive at the station before responding to an incident,” he said.
“The presence of Station Officers at Glen Innes and Inverell is the legacy of historical necessity dating back more than half a century and are no longer required. Their roles are a duplication of resources, and with technological and organisational advances in recent years, permanent station officers are better deployed in areas where their skills can be fully utilised.”