Firefighters are warning residents to be extra careful as there are concerns that crews may decide to go on strike.

According to thisisgrimsby.co.uk, the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) is currently disputing with the government over pensions and has recently announced that 78 per cent have voted to strike should the dispute continue.

Although the fire service has said it will still be responding to emergency 999 calls, it warns that response time might be slower than usual during strike periods. So the public should only dial 999 if it is a real emergency. Commercial building owners may want to consider getting a fire risk assessment done before the strikes begin.

Acting chief fire officer Olaf Baars, said: “I want to reassure the public that we will be answering emergency calls and responding to all life risk incidents but we are asking people to reduce demand by calling us only in a genuine emergency during any periods of industrial action,” reports getreading.co.uk.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has asked the public to be extra careful when driving, using candles and during cooking in order to lower the risk of a fire breaking out. It also reminded people to check their smoke alarms are working properly and to call a locksmith instead of the fire service if they get locked out of their house.