A petition protesting a £1.6 million cut to frontline Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has gathered hundreds of signatures.
Launched by Fire Brigades Union (FBU) regional secretary Mark Chapman, the online appeal says the cut ‘risks pushing a service already on its knees into critical failure’.
It was earlier this week that Island Echo reported that the average time it takes for a fire engine to reach a critical incident has increased by nearly a minute in less than 5 years, now standing at 9 minutes and 49 seconds.
The move follows the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s (HIWFRS) proposal of major service changes, including the possible closure of 2 Isle of Wight stations in Bembridge and Yarmouth.
Mr Chapman’s Megaphone.org.uk plea entitled ‘Stop, think and reassess dangerous cuts to firefighter numbers’ has so far attracted over 500 signatures. It says:
“More than 15 years of cuts have left fire and rescue services across the UK dangerously under-resourced.
“In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, this has already resulted in shortages of firefighters and fire engines.
“Firefighter numbers across the UK have been slashed by over 12,000 since 2010, stripping away vital capacity.
Article continues below this advertisement “Now, HIWFRS leaders propose a further £1.6 million cut from the frontline – a move that risks pushing a service already on its knees into critical failure.
“We cannot – and must not – allow further cuts that would knowingly compromise public safety and the ability of firefighters to respond when lives are on the line.”
Mark has said:
“The Island has seen a progressive decline in the number of firefighters, equipment and a significant degradation in the building stock provided to accommodate and train firefighters and fire appliances.
“This has resulted in attendance times increasing by a minute in just the last five years alone. In an industry where every second counts, this continued degradation in resources and people trained to respond poses a significant risk to local communities.”
Rob Cole, assistant chief fire officer at HIWFRS has responded by saying:
“Our priority will always be the safety of our communities and of our firefighters. In developing our proposals for change we have carefully reviewed our community risk levels against our resources.
“HIWFRS is facing financial challenges. The costs of delivering our services have outpaced the funding we receive.
“Without an increase in government funding, fire and rescue services have no choice but to find ways to make savings, but we will always seek to do that in a way that ensures we can continue to reduce risk and respond to emergencies as quickly and as effectively as we can.
“We welcome views on the proposed changes and are engaging with our firefighters, staff and the unions on all our proposals. We also have a public consultation underway in relation to the changes for the Isle of Wight.”
The petition can be found at https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/stop-think-reassess-dangerous-cuts-to-firefighter-numbers.
HIWFRS’s public consultation on its proposed changes is at https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/community/engagement-hub/iow-consultation/.
It’s disgustin that the powers that be are cutting 1.6 Million from the frontline,
Especially after
1: council raised that section of money by its maximum amount each year for the last 3 years and
2: They can find fundage to replace the up and over doors at Ryde Fire station (tho old still function).
As the old saying goes, if its not broken don’t fix it. Particularly as times are so tight.
Also in response to response times, could it be down to the now vaster quantities of sometimes very disorganised or unnecessary road works with their upholding traffic light systems?
Somebody as to pay for the massive gold plated council pension bill.
What has happened to the people of Bembridge??? Have they lost their voices??? It could be their property or and lives at stake.