Caroline backs firefighters against austerity and privatisation

I recently met firefighters at Preston Circus to support their fight against proposed cuts and the potential privatisation of vital emergency services.  The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services Authority (ESFRS) is currently consulting on proposals to cut one fire engine out of five in the city, with the loss of around 24 firefighters jobs.

The Government is cutting funds to local fire services, just as it is with local councils.  According to the Local Government Association, government funding for the fire and rescue service will fall by £300m from £1bn in 2011/12 to £700m by 2017/18. 

If introduced by the East Sussex Fire Authority, which looks after county-wide services, the proposed cuts would mean cutting four emergency response Watch Managers in Brighton, one 24 hour emergency response fire engine in Brighton and one high-reach vehicle would be replaced by a hybrid vehicle.

These kind of ‘cost savings’ always ignore the cost to us all of slower response times by the fire brigades to fires and road accidents – and also the fact that they are likely to put firefighters’ lives at risk as well.

After the flood response in Surrey was recently handed over to a private company, with provisions for this to be extended to fire services too, the Fire Brigades Union is now also worried that privatisation is on its way to Brighton.

Privatisation could threaten the safety of both firefighters and the public, and mean even greater financial cost to the public. Again, the FBU has very real concerns about the safety of fire and rescue workers’ lives.

It’s crucial that the Government gets the message that we are not prepared to put more lives at risk through these cuts, and that the ESFRS explores all other options to protect the frontline, including potential amalgamation with neighbouring authorities, the level of reserves, and staffing at senior management level. 

To take part in the consultation, which ends on 28 April, see www.esfrs.org/publicconsultation/

Back in September, I also joined the firefighters’ picket line at Preston Circus where they were taking industrial action over national government proposals the see them work until the age of 60 - despite fitness concerns. I also recently backed a motion in Parliament put opposing cuts will put lives at risk and reduce the quality of this vital service.

Fire and Rescue Service costs less than £1 per week per adult – which represents exceptional value for money. I have written to the Secretary of State to get answers on funding questions being raised by firefighters in Brighton and across the country.

 

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