Cambridgeshire: Five Emergency Calls During Fire Strike

15 December 2013, 07:34 | Updated: 15 December 2013, 08:28

Cambridgeshire Fire Service managers, on call and support staff were called to five emergency calls during last night's firefighters strike.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union were walking out for the sixth time in their ongoing dispute about pensions, and the age firefighters can retire.

Crews walked out between 6pm and 10pm.

During the strike, fire engines crewed by managers, on call and support staff were called to 999 calls at:

6.10pm - A shed fire in Nuffield Road. One crew attended and used one hose reel to extinguish the fire. 

6.40pm A car fire as a result of an RTC on Wisbech Road in Westry. One crew attended and confirmed no firefighting action was required but the crew made the vehicles safe and attended to two casualties who are believed to have had minor injuries.

6.54pm A car fire on Sawtry Way, Kings Ripton. One hose reel was used to extinguish the fire and the crew had returned to base by 7.25pm. The cause was deliberate. 

9.26pm Reports of a number of cars on fire at Avid Auto Repairs, Imperial Way, Yaxley. Two crews attended and discovered six cars alight. The incident was ongoing at 10pm when the strike ended but the crews attending stayed on to complete the incident. At 10.30pm, one crew remained at the scene dampening down. 

9.56pm we received an automatic fire alarm call to Queensgate Car Park in Peterborough. One crew attended. This was a false alarm.

Chris Strickland, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Although our crewing levels were significantly impacted, we were able to use our own operationally trained staff to crew 15 fire engines during the strike period.

Whilst our day-to-day services were severely disrupted by the strike, the commitment of our on-call, support and operational managers ensured that we were able to fulfil our legal duty to provide a fire and rescue service.

Our thanks go out to the community for taking extra care this evening and putting safety at the forefront of their minds."

The latest strike was the sixth overall, and the second in 24 hours, after crews walked out on Friday night.