10 Fire Stations Closed But More Population?

[ukanonymous]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/firefighters-cry-as-10-london-stations-including-clerkenwell-close-due-to-cuts-9050079.html

How can anyone justify this? Just doesn't make sense. Or are the fire safety regs so good now the fire fighters are surplus?

[Gromit]

We need to save money to pay for tax cuts. We might all be less safe, but the public sector expenditure will be reduced ( or probably not based on the ladt 5 years).

[Svejk]

Try setting something in your house on fire. Nothing burns anymore (without a great deal of effort)

[mushroom25]

of course the FBU has it's own agenda, but if you look here
http://www.fbu.org.uk/resources/reports/

and read the report "It's About Time" some of the answers are there - effectively since the fire service's primary role is now one of prevention, and response times are no longer as stringent, fewer appliances are needed. QED.

[Hymie]

It is a fact that the number of fires has been falling over recent years, no doubt due to fewer smokers and most homes being fitted with smoke alarms. But it is not just fires that they are called to – Road Traffic Accidents may also require their skills, again these have been in decline.

To some extent the fire brigade have been a victim of their own success, in the prevention of those requiring their services. In contrast, many other counties operate completely volunteer staffed fire services, who are only paid when they are called out, and so have no incentive to reduce the occurrence of fires.

[naomi24]

The fire fighters aren't surplus.

//James Cleverly, chairman of London Fire Brigade, said: “The brigade is faced with significant budget cuts which mean that changes to the service are inevitable and we are able to make those changes without compulsory redundancies.

“The firefighters based at the stations closing will now transfer to other stations and continue the excellent work they do to prevent fires, which is vital in changing the behaviours that start fires in the first place.”

“Londoners will continue to receive one of the fastest emergency response times in the world from the London Fire Brigade,” he said.//

[Svejk]

I've noticed on US reality cop shows that the fire brigades seem to have taken on the paramedic/first-aid roles. Very different perhaps with private healthcare.

[mushroom25]

//I've noticed on US reality cop shows that the fire brigades seem to have taken on the paramedic/first-aid roles. //

US fire services have been doing this for at least 30 years, and maybe even longer.

[Svejk]

Ah right. I've only noticed/watched these things lately.

[Booldawg]

A lot of UK Firefighters are also cross-trained as 'co-responders', acting as a first-on-the-scene medic ahead of the ambulance.

This has been in place for around 10 years, cuts down the time waiting for an ambulance to turn up and makes the figures look good.

This is certainly the case in more rural areas that have a retained Fire Service and no ambulance station around for miles.

Quite popular with the retained FF's as it put their call-out figures up threefold!