Response to letter from Richard Hards published in IWCP 19/02/2010
February 26, 2010 by admin
Filed under News, News - Local
Response from Mark Deacon (Fire Brigades Union chairman), Newport – letter published in the Isle of Wight County Press 26/02/2010:
THE Fire Brigades Union is not normally in the habit of responding to letters in the County Press, however Mr Hards’ letter (shown below) last week cannot pass without comment.
During his final year with the IW fire service, the budget was £7,312,400, or 3.6 per cent more than it is now. Under his ‘leadership’, our Island service was rated as one of the two poorest performing in the country, not once but twice. We were in real danger of being forced to merge with Hampshire.
The Fire Brigades Union, the temporary chief fire officer and leaders of the council visited the fire minister in London and convinced the government our service had a future; the service was put under special measures with the constant threat of merger hanging over us should we falter.
Since then, rapid progress has been made and following Mr Hards’ departure the new leadership of the service has been both praised and nominated for numerous awards, while continuing to improve from the woeful position we were left in.
The Fire Brigades Union, working jointly with senior managers and the council, is striving to provide the best possible fire service for the IW public.
It was claimed the modernisation of the service does nothing to improve the safety of its residents.
Comments like this are astounding, coming from someone who should know better. It shouldn’t require explaining that having firefighters readily available on more stations will mean a faster response for residents and visitors alike, and as the latest government campaign says: “seconds count — smoke kills in seconds”.
It is fortunate the letters in the CP are read by people with more intelligence than Mr Hards credits them with.
What the service has achieved since his departure in 2005 proves this Island possesses many people that have the requisite skills to lead Island services.
From Richard Hards (former, retired Chief Fire Officer, Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service), Whippingham:
YOUR front page headline, “Human cost of cuts”, (CP, 12-02-10) drew attention to the dire state the IW Council’s finances are in and the devastating effect this will have on the most vulnerable residents of our Island.
In previous weeks, your articles on the council’s budget have reported the “flagship” project of fire service modernisation will be protected.
However, now is the time this particular sacred cow to councillors’ gullibility is sacrificed in the common good.
The fire service accounts for about five per cent of the council’s budget and the, so-called, modernisation of the service is costing in excess of £500,000 per annum.
The modernisation has been devised by self-serving vested interests within the service and councillors were panicked into accepting it on the basis they had to be seen to do something.
The modernisation does nothing to improve safety of cash-strapped Islanders and will be a burden taxpayers have to bear for generations to come.
So, with this in mind, I welcome Cllr Pugh’s invitation (CP, letters 12-02-10) for suggestions on alternative budget savings and here is mine.
Next year, the council is going to have an £11 million shortfall. Now, five per cent of £11 million is, surprise surprise, £550,000. So the answer is plain for all to see; the fire service must take its share of the pain and reverse the current reorganisation and modernise as other more prudent fire authorities throughout England have done.
It cannot be right that as you reported last week: “vulnerable people could be living on the streets and 250 support workers’ jobs could go,” so that extra wholetime firefighters can sleep in a warm dormitory in a new fire station.
The question is, has Cllr Pugh got the courage to confront the deeply entrenched forces within the fire service and deliver this saving in the interests of all of us?
Editor’s footnote: Mr Hards was the chief officer of the IW Fire and Rescue Service from 2000 to 2005.
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