Beds fire crews walked out on a four-hour strike today over pension plans by the Government that could raise the retirement age from 55 to 60.
Chief Fire Officer Paul Fuller says fully trained firefighters and officers were on hand to tackle three false alarms between 12noon and 4pm, including automatic fire alarms in Luton and Dunstable, and that ‘implemented contingency plans’ worked on the day.
Mr Fuller said: “The FBU may have deliberately chosen a relatively quiet time for their strike action, however, it was vital that we had plans in place so that we could still answer emergency 999 calls and respond where a person’s life was at risk.
“Whilst these plans could never be able to match the service’s normal day-to-day cover, I am satisfied with the way that they have worked.
“Fully trained firefighters and officers who were not on strike enabled us to provide sufficient fire cover for the whole county, supported by colleagues in fire control who answered all 999 calls as normal.
“I’d like to thank them all for their help.”