Hampshire Firefighters In Four-Day Strike

31 October 2014, 07:36 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A 96-hour walkout by firefighters across the South Coast gets underway this evening (Friday 31 October) coinciding with Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union nationally will take part in their longest strike yet, in their long-running dispute with the Government over pension changes. It starts at 6pm and ends at 6pm on Tuesday (4 November).

People are being advised crews will still answer emergency calls but may be slower than usual to respond.

Hampshire's Assistant Chief Officer Neil Odin, head of community safety at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

"Leave the fireworks and the bonfires to the experts this weekend and attend one of the many fantastic displays being organised around Hampshire.

"While we will still be responding to 999 calls, the strike action is inevitably going to impact on our response times, so reducing the risk of accidents will help us to prioritise the resources we have.

"We want people to enjoy all the spectacular sights and sounds of this time of year, but leave the safety arrangements to the event organisers while you worry about tucking into a hot dog."

Hampshire's retained firefighters will once again step up to help provide emergency cover, while agreements also remain in place with the FBU for striking firefighters to return to duty should a major emergency occur.

ACO Odin added: "999 calls during previous industrial action periods have dropped by up to 60% and we are extremely grateful for the public's help in cutting down unnecessary accidents.

"We would again ask the public to only call 999 if there is a genuine need for a fire engine as we will need to prioritise calls where lives may be at risk."