The Fire Brigade Employees Union is expected to hear back from the Industrial Relations Commission today, in regards to a push to move resources from Cooks Hill to Lambton station.
Fire and Rescue NSW wants two trucks and some of the Cooks Hill crew relocated by the end of the month, in a bid to better cater to the entire Newcastle LGA.
However, the Union is opposing the change, fearing it'll put the CBD at risk with firefighters too far away creating slower response times.
They fear increased Newcastle development and construction may lead to more fires- and the Commission's been brought in to resolve the matter.
In a statement to 2NURFM News, Fire and Rescue says safety will, in fact, be improved by the change as Lambton is closer to main roads like the M1 Motorway, with state of the art equipment remaining in the city.
The statement further says the decision to make the move has been informed by a recent review, "which found that relocating the heavy rescue vehicle to Lambton Fire Station would maximise emergency response coverage for rescues and emergencies across the whole LGA.
"The Newcastle CBD continues to be well protected 24/7 not only by Cooks Hill Fire Station, but other stations at Lambton, Carrington and Merewether. Cooks Hill Fire Station has a firefighting pumper with state-of-the-art rescue equipment and a ladder platform vehicle, so firefighters remain fully equipped to respond to fires, rescue situations and other emergencies."
