Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service staff hit higher pay bands

THE number of fire service staff reaching higher pay bands has leapt in the course of a year.

Eight individuals at the very top of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service account for total pay costs of around £1 million a year, writes Trevor Bevins of the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At the other end of the scale, those receiving between £50,000 and £55,000 a year has seen a 30% increase, while those on some of the even higher pay bands have more than doubled.

The figures are contained in the unaudited accounts for service for 2022-23.

For Chief Officer Ben Ansell, the accounts show a total remuneration package worth more than £213,000 – including £165,300 in salary, fees and allowances and £47,600 a year paid by the authority towards his pension pot, which he also contributes to.

Other senior figures receive between £98,446 and £160,800, with eight individuals between them accounting for £987,910 in payments over the course of a year, although not all of the figures are for the whole year, some having reached a higher grade during the 12 months. On a pro-rata basis these payments would have amounted to more than £1m.

For other ranks the figures show a leap from 43 individuals to 63 receiving between £50,000 and £55,000; 39 getting £55,000 to £60,000; 30 (up from 12) receiving £60,000 to £65,000; 10 on a banding between £65,000 to £70,000; 13 (up from 2) on £70,000 to £75,000 and eight staff on between £75,000 and £95,000 a year.

All of the figures are prior to the pay award for this financial year.