The South Wales Echo
ALFORD, Wales — Desk-bound managers with no firefighting experience are set to be appointed to senior roles within South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
The move — part of an efficiency drive that will save around pounds 200,000 a year — has been condemned by the Fire Brigades Union, which fears firefighters and the public could be at risk if non-uniformed managers take charge of critical incidents.
The plans will see the director of human resources and training, Phil Haynes, and director of legal services, administration and ICT, Sally Murton, become assistant chief officers (ACOs) from September 1.
Neither has worked as a fire-fightebut they will replace two experienced firefighters, Steve Martin, who has retired, and Steve Scrivens, who is set to retire.
The fire chiefs who’ve never put out a fire News of the appointments comes as it is confirmed that 27 frontline firefighting posts will be lost through natural wastage.
Cerith Griffiths, FBU chairman for South Wales, said: “They are cutting frontline jobs and are pushing for a greater non-uniform quota. The feeling on the ground is one of anger.
“We believe this could be the thin end of the wedge.”
The management changes and loss of frontline posts have been put forward as part of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s risk reduction plan, a document that sets out what the service wants to achieve over the next 18 months.
Chief fire officer Andy Marles told the Echo that Mr Haynes and Ms Murton, both described as highly skilled managers, will not be sending firefighters into burning buildings. But he confirmed that, after they have received training, they could be appointed to the position of Gold Commander — the most senior fire officer on duty — during major incidents, including flooding or a terrorist attack.
Mr Marles and fire authority chairman Anthony Ernest have acknowledged the service’s finances are under strain.
To address this, Mr Marles has cut the number of the most senior director roles from seven to five.
Until now, the service has been run by a chief, a deputy, an assistant chief fire officer, the two assistant chief officers, Mr Scrivens and Mr Martin, and two directors, Mr Haynes and Ms Murton.
As the latter two move into the roles of Mr Scrivens and Mr Martin, they will maintain responsibility for their current departments.
Mr Marles is also reducing the number of people in the next tier of management, known as area managers, from five to four through a process of natural wastage. The remaining four will receive a 14% pay rise to reflect increased responsibilities.
MrMarles said: “The whole package [of management changes] will save us about pounds 200,000 a year.”
Mr Marles, who was appointed chief fire officer last year after more than 30 years with the service, said: “I do understand the concerns of the guys. I have been a firefighter and I am passionate about health and safety.”
He said the management changes had not been motivated by cost but by a need to build “resilience and flexibility”.
He said the new ACOs would be able to assist or take charge of workforce planning if, for example, swine flu were to incapacitate a number of firefighters. They would also be able to deploy limited resources effectively and ensure the service keeps running and could become Gold Commanders.
“With some training, non-uniform people who are not firefighters by trade can do that kind of work,” he said.
“They could probably deal with a flood like we saw in Gloucester.”
But he said they would only take charge once the initial “life and death” stage of an incident had passed, adding he did not believe they could ever receive enough training to qualify them to send firefighters into a burning building.
“They won’t be making key operational decisions,” he said.
“But a week or a fortnight into a major incident like flooding, I could well be using one of them.”
Mr Marles said in the event of a major terrorist attack on South Wales, that would require a fire service Gold Commander to be located in the Welsh Assembly Government and the headquarters of South Wales and Gwent Police, they could also be used then.
The FBU is set to lodge its formal objections to the management shake-up today.
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