Firefighters on strike during New Year's Eve celebrations

New Year's revellers are asked to take care as Devon’s Firefighters prepare to strike again tonight in the latest action of the pensions dispute.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) will walk out tonight at 6.30pm until 12.30am on New Years Day

FBU General Secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “Christmas is just an ordinary working time for firefighters, and our members have been on the front line dealing with storms, floods and other emergencies every day.

“None of us wanted these strikes, but firefighters on duty over the festive period don’t have much to celebrate this year as they are being priced out of their pensions and face the sack because the government’s can’t accept that 60 year old men and women can’t meet the same fitness standards as 20 year olds.

“We need to see genuine dialogue and real negotiations to resolve this dispute, so perhaps the prime minister would like to come along to visit firefighters on New Year’s Eve and hear directly why they are so angry?”

The union says most firefighters who take home approximately £1,650 a month already pay £320 or more a month into their pensions, and from April 2014 this would rise for the third year in a row to over £340 a month (£4,000 a year), with many facing a fourth consecutive rise of 2.2% in 2015.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said they have substantial contingency plans in place to ensure that they will continue to respond to emergency incidents.

In a statement on their website the service said: “It is important that the public recognises the strike will have an impact on our normal arrangements during the periods of dispute.

“Our capability to respond quickly may be reduced during the period of strike.”

Elsewhere in the country, other services have warned the public to take extra care with fireworks and sky lanterns due to the extra fire risks that these present.

Union members in Kent and Surrey returned to work during the Christmas strike following discussions and agreement with union officials due to the extra pressure from the Christmas Storms.

Matt Wrack said: “The return of Kent and Surrey firefighters to work on Christmas Eve makes a mockery of claims made by a tiny minority of commentators that striking firefighters are ‘irresponsible’.

“Firefighters do not want to place the public at risk, and support on the picket lines suggests that the public understands that we cannot stand by and let this pension theft continue.

“Its time the government came back with a realistic offer instead of the unworkable proposals they continue to peddle.”

A further strike across England and Wales is scheduled 6.30am and 8.30am on Friday 3 January.

Firefighters last took industrial action on Christmas Eve and five incidents were attended by the fire services contingency firefighters.

These incidents included a chimney fire in Cullompton, and a dangerous structure in Plymouth, one crew attended to each incident.