Safety fears raised over £1.6m fire service cuts

Proposed cuts of up to £1.6m to a fire and rescue service would "undermine safety" for both firefighters and the public, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has proposed savings measures including reducing the number of fire engines and closing stations on the Isle of Wight.

The FBU has launched an online petition opposing the changes, with southern regional chairman Dave Hunt calling on the fire authority to "stop these cuts immediately".

The service said it was facing "financial challenges" but would still respond to emergencies "as quickly and as effectively as we can".

As part of the savings, less frequently used fire engines at four on-call stations - Romsey Waterlooville, Petersfield and Lymington - would be removed.

Introducing a new specialist rescue vehicle and fire vehicle would lead to a reduction of 20 staff at Cosham and Redbridge stations, although there will be no redundancies, HIWFRS said.

Last month it unveiled plans to combine Yarmouth and Freshwater fire stations, which would mean two fire engines could operate in the west of the Isle of Wight.

There are also proposals to stop operational responses from Bembridge fire station.

The Isle of Wight plans are open to public consultation until the end of July.

Rob Cole, assistant chief fire officer, said in developing its savings proposals, the service had "carefully reviewed our community risk levels against our resources".

He said: "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."

The National Fire Chiefs Council recently criticised "prolonged disinvestment in fire and rescue services over many years".

Many fire services also faced a shortfall in funding after the government failed to give them the same level of compensation for tax increases as the police, BBC research found.

Addressing a meeting of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Authority, Mr Hunt said the service was already "losing resilience".

"If implemented, these cuts will increase response times," he said.

"Ultimately we're undermining both public and firefighter safety - as firefighters, we need to know we have the right number of people when we turn up."

He called for a "full and detailed review" of HIWFRS' current work and roles and said the service should "put safety first and stop these cuts".

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said fire and rescue Authorities have received almost £3bn in the last financial year.

"We understand the challenges that fire services are facing, and despite the inheritance this government has been left with, we are determined to deliver better public services through our Plan for Change," it added.

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