ANGRY residents packed a pavilion to press Essex’s police and fire boss over the 226 times a second fire engine has not been available in Dovercourt in the past six months.

About 80 people attended a meeting at the Pavilion, in Harwich, on Monday to question Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex about their concerns.

During the meeting, former Harwich mayor Charlie Powell branded it “disgraceful” a second fire engine was not available 226 times since March.

His figures came from a Freedom of Information request, lodged to Essex Fire Service, by Harwich town councillor Geoff Smith.

It means a second engine had to travel from either Manningtree, Clacton or Colchester to attend a fire in Harwich.

Mr Powell said: “I have the latest figures of all the times the second fire engine was unavailable.

“Looking at the figures, I think it is disgraceful.”

The station’s first engine is manned by a full-time crew, while its second is operated by on-call firefighters.

Mr Hirst said: “The system does not always work how it always should.”

But he added there are still more than 1,000 firefighters in Essex.

Greg Keyes, who was representing Essex Fire Service at the meeting, said he accepted that the crew levels need to increase.

He said: “Recruiting is one thing, but training up the firefighters is another.

“We are not in a position for two on-call pumps at all times.

“Two thirds of the country’s firefighters are on-call but we need the right people with the right skills at the right time.”

Dovercourt fire station has 13 fully trained firefighters, and 17 available on call.

But there are only four who can drive a fire engine. Two are training to drive.

Dovercourt fire station will also be losing its full-time crew next March and become an on-call only station.

The move was first mooted as part of plans to save up to £6.4 million a year after Government cuts.

Mr Keyes said: “It does not mean people won’t survive if a second pump does not get there in eight minutes.

“Most of the fire stations in the country have one pump.

“We will send two pumps when we need to, but the timeframe of them arriving will be delayed.”