Firefighters will strike again next week

The Fire Brigades Union is involved in a dispute with the Government over changes to firefighter pensions, and has called for a further round of national strike action between 10am and 2pm on November 13.

The service will still be responding to emergencies but firefighters are appealing for people to take extra care and reduce the demand on 999 services.

Ensuring your home has a working smoke alarm, not leaving cooking or candles unattended, extinguishing cigarettes properly, or even planning a little extra time for your journey can make the difference between needing to dial 999 or not.

A spokesperson said: “We hope the strike action can be avoided by meaningful negotiation.

“This is a national dispute and not one between West Sussex firefighters and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service or the county council.

“We therefore are not in a position to resolve it locally but we do have a duty to prepare contingency plans and maintain services, for example during industrial action or other reasons for staff shortages.

“We therefore again urge people to take extra care, but we want people to know we are still here if we are needed, so still dial 999 if you have a genuine emergency.”

For further advice on how to reduce risks, safety information is available from www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire