No Cuts to Frontline Fire Cover in Cleveland. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. £1.2m Needed.
The Issue
We urge the Government to increase funding for Cleveland Fire Brigade by £1.2 million to ensure public safety.
Cleveland is a unique area, with a huge industrial landscape, major transport networks, and a growing community. However, it is now facing severe financial pressures. A significant funding deficit is forcing reductions to frontline services, putting lives and local communities at risk. Since 2010, Cleveland Fire Brigade has lost 33% of its workforce, that's roughly 160 wholetime posts. Even with these severe frontline reductions, the brigade is still operating at a £1.2 million deficit due to insufficient funding from central government.
Statistically, Cleveland remains one of the busiest brigades in the nation, dealing with the highest rate of deliberate fires per capita in the country, yet remains one of the most underfunded. They manage a range of significant and complex risks, including:
23 Top Tier COMAH sites: Representing 8% of the national total, this is the densest concentration of high-hazard industrial sites in the country.
A major increase in wildfires: Placing additional demands on stretched resources.
A growing population: Due to ongoing housing development across the region.
Chronically low funding and depleted resources are having a serious impact on frontline response capabilities. During a recent incident where a firefighter was hospitalised, the brigade began the shift with only 6 operational appliances out of a potential 21. This is less than half of the agreed minimum standard of 13 available appliances, and just one-third of the agreed minimum of 18 from just four years ago.
Further proposed cuts will result in:
Reduced appliance availability: Beginning with the removal of an evening appliance at Thornaby, with further reductions planned if proposed savings fail.
Overtime caps: Further limiting fire cover beyond the proposed loss of available appliances.
Increased reliance on neighbouring brigades: Placing neighbouring communities at risk as mutual aid is stretched.
Heightened workplace pressures: Leading to rising rates of illness, injury, and stress among firefighters.
Unpopular shift patterns: The implementation of 12-hour shifts, which create additional challenges for work-life balance and childcare costs, putting further stress on firefighters
Central Government funding MUST be increased to protect staff on the frontline and the communities they serve.
2,141
The Issue
We urge the Government to increase funding for Cleveland Fire Brigade by £1.2 million to ensure public safety.
Cleveland is a unique area, with a huge industrial landscape, major transport networks, and a growing community. However, it is now facing severe financial pressures. A significant funding deficit is forcing reductions to frontline services, putting lives and local communities at risk. Since 2010, Cleveland Fire Brigade has lost 33% of its workforce, that's roughly 160 wholetime posts. Even with these severe frontline reductions, the brigade is still operating at a £1.2 million deficit due to insufficient funding from central government.
Statistically, Cleveland remains one of the busiest brigades in the nation, dealing with the highest rate of deliberate fires per capita in the country, yet remains one of the most underfunded. They manage a range of significant and complex risks, including:
23 Top Tier COMAH sites: Representing 8% of the national total, this is the densest concentration of high-hazard industrial sites in the country.
A major increase in wildfires: Placing additional demands on stretched resources.
A growing population: Due to ongoing housing development across the region.
Chronically low funding and depleted resources are having a serious impact on frontline response capabilities. During a recent incident where a firefighter was hospitalised, the brigade began the shift with only 6 operational appliances out of a potential 21. This is less than half of the agreed minimum standard of 13 available appliances, and just one-third of the agreed minimum of 18 from just four years ago.
Further proposed cuts will result in:
Reduced appliance availability: Beginning with the removal of an evening appliance at Thornaby, with further reductions planned if proposed savings fail.
Overtime caps: Further limiting fire cover beyond the proposed loss of available appliances.
Increased reliance on neighbouring brigades: Placing neighbouring communities at risk as mutual aid is stretched.
Heightened workplace pressures: Leading to rising rates of illness, injury, and stress among firefighters.
Unpopular shift patterns: The implementation of 12-hour shifts, which create additional challenges for work-life balance and childcare costs, putting further stress on firefighters
Central Government funding MUST be increased to protect staff on the frontline and the communities they serve.
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Petition created on 28 August 2026