Firefighters will go on strike from noon today

There will be a reduced number of crews available across the district when members of the Fire Brigades Union take industrial action from noon until 4pm.

The strike follows an ongoing dispute between the union and the government over its public sector pension reform programme.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking the public to think about what they can do to take extra care, to safeguard themselves, their family and their communities during the industrial action.

Dave Walton, assistant chief officer for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

“We have an established contingency plan developed as part of our standard business continuity arrangements. This plan has recently been exercised and tested using a variety of scenarios and we are confident in our ability to provide fire cover, albeit on a restricted basis, to the communities and businesses of West Yorkshire.”

If an incident does occur, the service can call upon other firefighters who will not be striking, as well as Community Response Operatives.

The service also has an agreement with those taking action that they will immediately return to work should a “major incident” take place during that period.

If there is a fire, people should still call 999 as usual.

Here are some simple precautions people can follow to help keep themselves and others safe:

- Don’t leave cooking unattended and never cook after drinking alcohol

- Never smoke in bed and always dispose of cigarettes carefully

- Never leave electrical items switched on overnight and don’t overload sockets

- Drive within the speed limit, avoid distractions at the wheel, stay patient and always wear your seatbelt

- Ensure you have smoke detectors fitted in your home and test them every week.