The people of Cleveland have “comprehensively rejected” proposed cuts to local fire services, firefighters said today.
Over 95% of respondents to the Fire Brigade Union’s survey said that they felt lives would be put at risk if the cuts were implemented, and over 8,000 people have signed the FBU’s petition against the proposals.
Fire Brigades Union secretary for Cleveland, Davy Howe, said: “The message from firefighters and the people of Cleveland couldn’t be clearer: nobody wants these cuts.
“We all know these proposals would threaten the safety of firefighters and the public and ensure fire engines take longer to respond to emergencies.
“Cleveland Fire Brigade has suffered repeated cuts for over a decade and our communities deserves better: these central government cuts must stop now.”
Local firefighters and supporters will demonstrate against the cuts outside a meeting of Cleveland Fire Authority this Friday (7 March).
At the extraordinary meeting, councillors will vote on cuts to local fire services which firefighters say could cost lives.
Over the last eight weeks, the Fire Brigades Union in Cleveland has been distributing information about the proposed cuts and the potential ramifications for the public and firefighter safety.
If implemented, the proposals would include the closure of Marine Fire Station in Middlesbrough Town Centre, the loss of 130 full-time firefighter jobs and the removal of specialist emergency equipment.
The proposed cuts form part of the authority’s risk management plan for 2014-18.
In the survey, local people also voiced opposition to:
– 999 calls being answered outside out Cleveland (92%),
– The authority’s willingness to base emergency response policies on historical data rather than potential risk (96%)
– The replacement of whole-time firefighters with ‘retained’ firefighters (96%)
– The privatisation of the fire and rescue service (97%)
– Policies that would slow response times (97%)
– The closure of fire stations in high-risk wards (97%).
They also expressed their desire for central government to improve funding for the fire service as a whole (95%).
