It has emerged that a multi-million pound financial black hole in the accounts of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service could result in more frontline cuts, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned.
Ahead of the elections on 5 May, Staffordshire police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matthew Ellis has said he wants to combine all of the back room departments from the two services in order to save £2m. According to figures published in the Treasury’s Comprehensive Spending Review, even with these cuts – which will result in job losses – there will be a £3m shortfall in budgets.
Rich Williams, brigade secretary of the FBU in Staffordshire, says it will mean huge frontline cuts to fire services in the county. “Matthew Ellis has made no commitments to safeguard frontline services so we can only assume it will be open season on firefighter jobs if he takes over fire and rescue services.
“If our service were to fall under the governance of the police, firefighters risk losing the trust, good faith and credibility that they have built with the public as an independent, neutral humanitarian service. It will put our fire prevention work at risk where we need the co-operation of some of the most vulnerable people in society in order to gain entry to homes.
“Matthew Ellis has no experience of the fire and rescue service. As a frontline firefighter, I have grave reservations about working in a service led by someone who has no idea what they are doing.”
Home secretary Theresa May lavished praise on Ellis in February during a speech to centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, saying: “In Staffordshire, Matthew Ellis has created a tri-service neighbourhood centre at the site of an existing fire station, with specific space for each service plus a shared service area.”
Rich Williams added: “This is simply not true. The home secretary, on behalf of Matthew Ellis, has misrepresented what is happening in Staffordshire.”
