South Yorkshire loses over 300 firefighter jobs over 10 years, new figures reveal

According to the most recent figures released by the Home Office, a total of 334 firefighter jobs have been lost between 2002 and 2022 – a decrease of 34 per cent.

Nationally, some 8,000 fewer people are working as firefighters in England than they were in 2011, while Scotland and Wales have also lost hundreds of posts.

The analysis comes after the UK reached record-breaking temperatures earlier this week, triggering a number of wildfires across the country.

The severe weather resulted in the London Fire Brigade declaring its busiest day since World War Two as it tackled multiple blazes across the city.

A major incident was also declared in South Yorkshire due to a spate of fires where temperatures reached more than 39C for the first time ever.

Fires were reported in Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley, and Rotherham during the heatwave, some of which are believed to have been weather related.

As a result, the county’s fire service received an ‘unprecedented’ 2,100 emergency calls and they were forced to abandon non-threatening fires.

Two firefighters also had to be rushed to the hospital due to heat exhaustion.

The figures also show that Greater London Fire and Rescue Service has lost more firefighter jobs than any other service in the country with more than 1,000 roles cut over the past 20 years.

FBU: Our staff have been ‘under attack’ from the government cuts

Across England’s fire and rescue services, the number of people working as firefighters has fallen by 21 per cent in nearly 20 years - a loss of more than 9,000 posts.

The headcount plunged from 44,594 in 2002 to 35,279 in 2021, Home Office figures show.

In full-time equivalent terms, firefighter numbers fell by 26 per cent in the same timeframe, from 42,374 in 2002 to 31,547.

South Yorkshire has seen the percentage fall in full-time equivalent firefighters since 2002 of 37 per cent, with West Yorkshire seeing the greatest percentage fall of 46 per cent.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said their staff have been “under attack” from government cuts and said politicians and Fire Chiefs have been warned of the risks posed by climate change.

Matt Wrack, general secretary at the FBU, said government ministers had been warned year after year of the risks posed by climate change yet had continued to cut firefighter jobs.

“Firefighters are at the forefront of the climate emergency,” he said.

“The demands of the job are increasing but our resources have been under attack by government cuts for over a decade.

“We have warned of the growing threat for years but our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. The brutal truth is that government ministers and Chief Fire Officers have ignored the warning signs which have been obvious for all to see.”

Commenting on the findings, the Home Office said it was extremely challenging to predict the long-term likelihood of wildfires.

A spokesperson added: “The government is committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to keep us safe, including from wildfires, and, overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive £2.5 billion in 2022/23.”

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