FIRE bosses in Essex have accused a union of distorting casualty statistics in an attempt to fight possible job losses.

The Fire Brigades Union claims Essex County Fire and Rescue has fallen below national trends for reducing deaths, home fires and casualties.

But acting fire chief officer Adam Eckley has criticised the union’s “negative” outlook and labelled the figures a national success story.

Essex County Fire and Rescue is currently consulting on its 2020 plan, which will set out the future of the service.

Although bosses insist no staffing decisions will be made until next year, the FBU believes the service plans to cut a quarter of frontline jobs.

The union has accused the service of misleading the public in the consultation document by “exaggerating” the success of fire prevention measures.

Keith Handscomb, FBU eastern region representative, said: “The cuts are quite simply too big, too quick and too dangerous.

“Our vital community prevention work is struggling to keep up with the growing population and housing in our county.

“The Government’s statistics show we’re falling way behind the rest of the country in reducing the numbers of fires in our homes and reducing the numbers of people killed or injured.”

Echo:

The FBU has accused the service of being selective in order to justify cuts, but Mr Eckley insists the statistics speak for themselves.

He said: “It is disappointing that the FBU has taken such a negative view of what is actually a national success story.

“Fire deaths are reducing. Full stop. That is the irrefutable fact of the matter in Essex and everywhere else.

“That statistic is as a result of the superb efforts of ECFRS employees and volunteers here in preventing fire breaking out in the first place and responding to them when they do with the utmost professionalism.

“In fact, the FBU’s own analysis sets out this success story and the need to invest more in our prevention and protection work.

“I am perfectly happy for people to look at those figures, and those which ECFRS has produced, and draw their own conclusions.”