Windsor Fire Station Unmanned

THE decision to leave Windsor fire station unmanned for four nights last week has been slammed for putting residents at risk - because firefighters were on Olympic Games duty.

There was no one at the station in St Mark's Road, from 8pm on Saturday, July 28, Sunday, July 29, Wednesday, August 1 and Thursday, August 2 - leaving the Windsor area to be covered by pumps at other stations including Slough and Langley.

The station is usually manned at night by firefighters from Slough and other neighbouring stations who crew the engine at Windsor to keep the station open 24-hours.

However, a lack of availability of staff due to the Olympics and holidays meant the station was left empty during four night shifts. A spokeswoman for the fire service said the firefighters were not on duty at Olympic venue Eton Dorney Lake but she could not explain where they were or what they were doing.

Michael Rowley, Fire Brigades Union secretary at the Windsor station, said: "It's like a patchwork quilt of service at the moment. Any deficiencies can put the public at risk."

Links:

• Click here to sign our "Windsor Fire Station: NOT FOR SALE" petition.

• Click here to vote in our Fire Station poll.

• Click here to go to our Windsor Fire Station pages.

Page date August 2012