But Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) will today challenge a statewide ban, issued on Friday by the Fire Brigade Employees' Union (FBEU), ordering union members not to travel long distances to relieve at other stations.

Firefighters based in Tamworth, who have asked to remain anonymous, contacted the Leader to complain about the policy of rostering staff from as far as 500 kilometres away onto shifts in the city.

They said they feel it's only a matter of time before the policy caused a local outbreak of the pandemic, forcing the station to close, or worse. A firefighter from Salamander Bay had recently filled in at a Tamworth brigade, they said. A confirmed July outbreak at a shopping centre in Salamander Bay caused a COVID-19 cluster.

But Tamworth Acting Superintendent Peter Nugent has rejected their concerns, saying the station has stringent protocols protecting the health of local firefighters and, ultimately, the community.

FBEU State Secretary Leighton Drury said the government had put saving money ahead of protecting firefighters' health, describing the policy as "crazy".

A spokesperson for FRNSW said they had implemented extra hygiene and decontamination practices, increased personal protective equipment measures for frontline staff and established an incident management team to manage staffing and emergency response arrangements during the pandemic.

The industrial dispute over the union ban will go to the industrial relations commission today.