Union proposes alternatives to Norfolk fire service plans
The Retained Firefighters Union (RFU) has put its case forward regarding the cuts which are expected to be rolled out if the recent consultation is approved.
This issue has raised many concerns with retained firefighters in the region, who have been looking at other measures which could limit the proposed changes which includes the removal of frontline fire engines and a reduction in staffing levels.
A union representative, Neil Harvey, said:
“Unfortunately the figures within the proposals simply do not add up and, rather than save money, it would appear that costs will unnecessarily increase.
“The proposals aim to reduce the number of retained firefighters by up to 26, in addition to about 24 full-time firefighter posts being lost. The draft plan also looks to totally remove two frontline appliances and replace three more with alternative vehicles that are unable to respond to primary fires and carry less crew.
“There is no doubt that should these proposals go ahead, the changes will increase the risk across the county and the level of resilience provided by the fire service will also deteriorate.”
The draft plan includes reductions of over £1 million and now the 12-week consultation period has ended, the firefighters will have to wait until October for the final decision.
Scottish fire services moving towards merger
The new fire chief of Lothian and Borders has admitted that a merger of the fire and rescue services in Scotland is looking more and more likely.
Since he took on the role in July, Jimmy Campbell has been considering the situation faced by fire services in the country as public sector cuts come into force.
The future for fire services in Scotland will involve a number of changes to ensure that efficiency is achieved and the merger may be the only way to achieve this.
Mr Campbell explained:
“We don’t know at this stage what cuts will be expected in services like ours but with commentators speculating on cuts from 12% to as much as 25% we know these cuts will be significant and there is no way that cannot affect how we currently do business.
“I am seeking a national approach from the fire and rescue services’ chief fire officers to establish a realistic direction and course of action that fundamentally protects our frontline firefighters and maintains the quality standard of services that the people of Scotland have come to expect.
“If we look at the number of fire and rescue services in Scotland there must be a better way of doing things.”
It looks like fire services in Scotland will go from eight into three to cover the north, west and south east areas of the country.
Northamptonshire unveils state-of-the-art fire engine
A government-funded bespoke fire engine with advanced communications technology built-in has now been unveiled.
The new vehicle will enable the fire and rescue service in Northamptonshire to send out text messages en-mass to all mobile phones within a particular area to warn them in the case of an emergency situation.
Martyn Emberson, chief fire officer, said:
“Before this vehicle, we had nothing similar to do this job. It would be firefighters standing out there near the appliances.
“It’s a whole new way of telling people about what we are doing. If we are at an incident, it can tell residents to keep their doors and windows shut, for example.”
The multi-purpose fire engine, which includes a lounge and toilet facilities, will be able to act as a command base while fire crews are tackling fires within the vicinity. It can also be used at fire awareness events and work in schools as the vehicle is equipped with flat screen TVs to relay presentations.
Northamptonshire county councillor, André González de Savage, explained:
“This vehicle will be a real asset, helping the fire and rescue service to extend their prevention work even further with local communities, as well as helping us to reduce the risk of fires and other emergencies.”
Calls for inquiry into Euston fire alert
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has called for an investigation to be launched by the Office of Rail Regulation after an incident involving the possible failure of fire detection systems in an escalator at Euston Tube station a few weeks ago.
However, Transport for London (TfL) has disputed the claims and insists the automated alarms were in full working order at the time, when the station had to be closed for around an hour due to the security alert.
The general secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow, said:
“Anyone who is in any doubt as to why we are balloting for action over the threat to safety-critical Tube station jobs only needs to look at the incident report into the Euston escalator fire four weeks ago.
“Fire-detection systems failed and it was only the vigilance and experience of station-based staff that averted what could have been a major disaster.”
In opposition to the union, a statement from TfL said that safety was a “top priority” and that sufficient measures were in place at the time to prevent a serious incident, with London Fire Brigade happy to reopen the station soon after. It read:
“This incident demonstrates the importance we place on having our staff on hand in ticket halls and platform areas to help customers and safeguard their welfare.”
Carpet shop accidentally set alight by council workers
It has been reported this week that council workers in Oldham managed to set a carpet store on fire as they attempted to remove weeds from the pavements outside.
Members of staff from Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council were given flame guns to clean up the streets as they attempted to put themselves forward in the Britain In Bloom competition.
However, when carrying out this work they managed to set the front of Roll End Carpets alight.
Jon Riley, 31, whose family own the shop, was present when this happened and he exited the building to see the flames outside the door. He was relieved that the store hadn’t been burnt to the ground.
He said:
“They sprayed [weedkiller] first and then these two blokes came with these blowtorches.
“I didn’t pay too much attention but about five minutes later I could smell burning. I went outside and flames were going up the shop front.
“The blokes were down the road doing somewhere else. I shouted to them and they came running back. We got the fire extinguisher out and then the fire service came.”
The council have offered to pay for the damage to the shop while an investigation is underway into the incident.