National Fire Brigades Union strike from 6pm Friday 31 October to 6pm Tuesday 4 November
Emergency cover
Emergency vehicles crewed by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) managers and firefighters who are not union members or who have chosen not to strike will be located at strategic locations around the county to provide the best cover possible.
999 calls
During the national firefighters strike KFRS will continue to answer and deal with 999 calls. However the public can expect our Control staff to ask them more questions about the nature of the incident they are reporting. We will need to gather as much information as possible in order to best utilise the resources.
Community safety advice
During the strike KFRS will not be operating at the normal level of service so it is important everyone takes extra care. If we all take a few minutes to for a few safety checks we really can help reduce unnecessary calls and prevent fires in our homes and businesses:
- KFRS does not want to spoil anyone's fun, but we do have less resources during the strike so please take extra care with Halloween candles, lanterns, fireworks and bonfires during the lead up to bonfire night. Please consider moving any home bonfire parties and fireworks to a day outside the strike period so that limited resources can be prioritised for lifesaving emergencies.
- Most home fires are cooking related so be extra careful and don't leave cooking unattended.
- Many KFRS calls are to rescue people from road crashes - please take extra care on the road.
- Before you leave the house or go to bed on strike days please unplug unused electrical items, make sure sockets aren't overloaded and test your smoke alarms.
- Businesses - please take a few minutes for extra safety checks during these strike periods.
More safety advice at www.kent.fire-uk.org or follow the Twitter hashtag #takeextracare