05/06/2026
🚨🚨FBU responds to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Station closure proposals update 📣
The Fire Brigades Union welcomes signs that the FBU campaign to save Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Stations has forced decision-makers to think again about plans that would have reduced local fire cover.
This progress has not come about by accident. It is the result of the Fire Brigades Union alongside local residents and community campaigners standing together and refusing to accept cuts to the fire and rescue service.
While the proposal for a 12-month trial merger between Hamworthy and Poole fire stations is a recognition of the strength of local opposition, serious concerns remain. Questions around response times, firefighter safety, operational capacity and the long-term future of the station have yet to be properly answered.
The FBU has consistently argued that fire and rescue services should be funded and organised around the needs of communities, not driven by cuts, cost-saving exercises or short-term budgets.
Steve Wright, General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said:
"The campaign to defend Dorset and Wiltshire fire stations has shown the power of collective action. FBU members have organised and fought to challenge proposals that would have weakened fire cover in communities and they deserve enormous credit for bringing decision-makers back to the table."
"While we welcome any move away from outright closure, there are still significant questions about these proposals. Firefighters and the public need clear assurances that emergency response standards, firefighter safety and operational effectiveness will not be compromised."
"For too long, fire and rescue services have been expected to do more with less. Across the country, firefighters have seen the consequences of years of underinvestment and cuts. The answer is not to stretch already hard-working crews even further, but to properly fund our fire and rescue services so they can deliver the protection that every community deserves."
"The FBU will continue to campaign for investment, for safe staffing, and for the high-quality fire and rescue service that workers and communities have every right to expect. Our fight for safer communities does not end here."
The union will continue scrutinising the proposals and working with local politicians throughout the process to ensure that the interests of firefighters and the safety of the public remain the priority.
