Fire rescue cutbacks

Balgownie Fire Station could be the first taken ‘offline’ after changes to NSW Fire Brigade staffing arrangements which affect four northern suburbs stations.

Reports have emerged that Balgownie Station is having trouble pulling together enough part-time firefighters to keep the station open under the new regulations, which eliminate the ability to call in a full-time firefighter to fill in any staffing gaps, except in some special circumstances.

Previous to the change any holes in staffing at the stations, which are manned by part-time or ‘retained’ firefighters were filled by a full-time firefighter.

Each ‘retained’ station has 12 firefighters on its roster, and now at least four need to be available during any shift or the station will go ‘offline’ and have its duties taken over by an adjacent station for that period.

A number of sources have confirmed that Balgownie Fire Station, one of those affected under the new regulations, has been running close to the wire in terms of staffing, with a number of their firefighters unable to respond to calls in recent weeks.

NSW Fire Brigade Area Commander for the area including Wollongong, Fire Commissioner Chief Superintendent Paul Rugg said the utmost care has been taken to make sure that in the uncommon event that a station must be taken offline the community’s safety will not be in jeopardy.

“We’ve never put the community at risk and we would never do that ever, and I’m quite satisfied at the situation,” he said.

Chief Superintendent Rugg said the change does have money-saving benfits, but added that the proximity of the stations and modern equipment means stations taken offline can be ‘easily covered by the adjoining stations.’

The NSW Fire Brigade Employee’s Union aren’t too keen on the change though, with local firefighter and union representative Darin Sullivan saying the plans don’t make sense.

“If that was the case (that adjacent stations can cover their neighbours) why don’t they shut the station down forever – there are stations there for a reason,” he said.The change was made as part of the settlement of a pay dispute between firefighters and the NSWFB.

Balgownie, Coledale, Corrimal and Thirroul are all operating under the new system.