FIRE union chiefs are calling for Horwich's part-time station to be upgraded, due to a massive increase in the number of calls its overstretched crews are having to deal with.

Mr Bob Pounder, the secretary of the Greater Manchester Fire Brigades Union, claims calls in Horwich have doubled during the last 15 years.

And he angrily blasted fire bosses, saying: "They are trying to operate it on the cheap, and it is falling apart."

He added: "The people of Horwich should get the best fire service possible, but they are currently being short-changed.

"If you live in Horwich and your house is on fire, you could have to wait for a fire engine from Bolton, Crompton Way or Hindley. It is not the same as waiting for a fire engine from Horwich."

As reported in the BEN, Greater Manchester Fire Service chiefs gave a reassurance that "professional cover" was being maintained after it was revealed that Horwich fire station had no team on call for 18 hours the weekend before last because the night cover team was decimated by illness.

Horwich's British Railworkers used to provide cover in the town until 1985, when the works closed down and Greater Manchester Fire Service took over responsibility.

A nucleus staff was employed, with 'retainer' fire fighters providing back up. At that time, the station was dealing with about 400 calls within a 12 month period, but latest figures show that number has increased to 860 a year.

However, the staffing levels have not increased and the fire service is struggling to recruit to the required level. Mr Pounder said: "There should be 22 retainer firefighters and seven 'whole-time' nucleus firefighters at the station. Instead there are only 12 retainer staff - and naturally a lot of the time they are not available due to work commitments.

"The quality of cover of the part time retainer firefighters cannot be the same as having whole-time staff.

"The nucleus staff work Monday to Friday and are on call at night. They work a 42 hour week and then are on an extra 42 hour cover. The retainers man the second pump throughout 24 hours and at the weekends. But because retainer staff are not always available one of the two fire engines tends to be out of action for about 50 per cent of the time.

"It is not fair on the public of Horwich and on our members who work as part of the nucleus staff at the station.

"We are calling for a change in the status of the station. There have been 15 recruitment drives for retainer staff in the last four years which have all failed. It is now time to employ full time firefighters to man the station 24 hours every day.

"It is the policy of the fire authority to upgrade stations once they get past 600 calls a year, which Horwich has done."

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