Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Staffordshire say the fire service’s planned cuts – including the loss of Stone’s second fire engine – are leaving them fearing for the safety of their communities.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service yesterday published its recommendations, which will go before a meeting of the Fire Authority on 13th July. They contain £1.1 million of cuts, including removing Stone’s second appliance, which will save £77,000 a year. More information HERE.
A range of potential options were put forward in March by the service “to help address future risks, meet expected demands and achieve financial savings targets”. The service has already saved £4 million since 2010 and will have to save an additional £5.7 million between 2015 and 2020. The recommendations this week follow a lengthy consultation process, but the FBU say their pleas for “less draconian options that won’t compromise public safety” have fallen on deaf ears.
Rich Williams, chair of the FBU in Staffordshire, said: “Firefighters here are extremely concerned at the prospect of further cuts – they are just one choice given that the current fire and rescue service reserves are above £11m. It’s also a slap in the face for the taxpayer who has suffered a council tax increase this year and in return will get slashed fire cover and reduced resilience.”
The meeting will also hear what the FBU call plans for “ridiculous suggested savings” from Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis, who the FBU claim has tried to influence the public and fire authority members by suggesting fire and rescue operations are run in partnership with police.
Rich Williams added: “Police and crime commissioners don’t understand fire and rescue work one bit. The public need to have total and utter trust in firefighters, who need access to peoples’ homes, not just for fire and rescue but for safety work such as smoke alarm advice. Working with the police would severely compromise this trust. It isn’t the way forward and the FBU will never, ever agree to it.”
