Fears over future of Newtown fire service
Tuesday 8th February 2011, 3:33PM GMT.
A Mid Wales councillor said lives could be put at risk if proposed cuts to the fire service in the region go ahead and full time firefighters are given non-emergency work to do.
Councillor Russell George, town and county member for Newtown, is angry at the proposals.
Under the planned cuts, firefighters at Brecon, Llandrindod Wells and Newtown, the area’s the full-time staffed stations, could be used to do home fire safety checks and other non-emergency activities.
Councillor George said: “This is a shocking proposal. Newtown is the only full-time manned fire station in Montgomeryshire.
“The present arrangement has full-time firefighters located at the station, but I would question how quickly part-time staff can get to the station on Llanidloes road in peak time Newtown traffic.
“I also understand that if the station is downgraded, certain equipment used to tackle flooding and deal with dangerous waste spillages could be withdrawn. In such a rural area, we need to protect important services.”
Councillor George said he would meet Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire Glyn Davies and fire staff.
Derek Masson, corporate head of strategic planning and performance at the fire service, said: “Mid and West Wales Fire Authority has taken a proactive approach to current financial challenges and carried out a comprehensive review.
“The authority has viewed this as a more effective use of the skills and experience these staff have, which when implemented will not impact on the emergency services currently being provided.
“Full-time firefighters will continue to be based at Newtown, Llandrindod Wells and Brecon Fire Stations.”
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Why is this a ‘shocking proposal’? How does it put lives at risk?
They would still be available for fire calls, and would be providing value for money. Full-time fire crews in other counties do work like this, and many of these crews are FAR busier than Newtown, which has a population that – on its own – would not normally justify a full time station in the first place in a lot of areas. ( I seem to recall that Newtown, although it has ‘full time’ staff, is not manned 24 hrs…)
I’d save the ‘shock’ for when the Fire Service might have to make such deep cuts that the ‘full time’ status of some stations such as Newtown are called into question.
Let’s hope *that* doesn’t happen – but who knows what’s coming down the tracks for ANY public service?
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The Fire service,along with the ambulance service are things we hope we will never need ,but it’s good to know they are there in an emergency by calling 999.With the cuts being forced upon them I suppose they have got to look at ways of making best use of resources.These services are “lifesavers” and should be properly funded,the way this lot are shaping up who knows how long we will be able to rely on such services.The Con-Dems will probably tell everyone to buy a hose pipe & ladder and become DIY firefighters to save cash.
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Couldn’t agree more….!
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Yes they are “lifesavers” and should be “properly funded” to provide the EMERGENCY service. They, like all 999 services, SHOULD NOT be called for trivial matters and should have the respect of the people they serve.
Maybe if people appreciated the service more and didn’t abuse it with hoax/inappropriate calls the funding would be allocated in the right ways.
I have been called out at 3am to a dog stuck in a fence. Do you really need the Fire Brigade to get a dog free? Seriously?
Maybe if the UK service issued a bill for each truck per 15 mins on scene (for inappropriate calls), people would think about it before wasting the Fire service’s time and funding.
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