UK Chief Balks at Cutting Firefighters

Union officials say the review was "just a fig leaf for slashing our fire and rescue service to bits."

Source Liverpool Echo

May 18, 2013

2 min read

MERSEYSIDE'S fire chief today said the region had already been hit by cuts recommended in a new national report.

Dan Stephens said Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service had already delivered several recommendations put forward by former chief fire adviser Sir Ken Knight.

Sir Ken's review to the government described how more than £200m could be found in efficiency savings nationwide.

He told how money could be saved through collaboration with other emergency services, using more retained crews and changing shift systems.

Unions reacted angrily to the report and Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said the review was "just a fig leaf for slashing our fire and rescue service to bits"'.

But Merseyside has already culled £19.5m from a budget of £70m, axed 14 of 42 fire engines and lost a swathe of firefighters and fire prevention workers.

Mr Stephens said: "We have put many of Sir Ken's recommendations in place already.

"We have reduced our number of firefighters from 1,400 down to around 800 and that is further going down to 760 by the end of the government's spending review.

"We have already made a significant contribution to firefighter reductions by some margin.

"His report has used very broad national figures which don't take into account our own efficiencies.

"We have a joint control centre with the police which is now under construction and we share a number of fire stations with North West Ambulance Service."