Media Release: 27th July 2010: In response to comments made by Cllr David Pugh during IW Radio interview, 23/07/2010

MEDIA RELEASE: for immediate release: 27th July 2010

In Response to comments made by Cllr David Pugh during IW Radio interview, 23/07/2010

http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/island-news/fire-control-centre-could-be-scrapped-1219

Andrew Cooper The Isle of Wight Command & Control Branch Chair of the Fire Brigades Union said, “Firefighters & Control members in the Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre wish to express their disappointment and concern at hearing the comments made by Cllr David Pugh, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, during an interview on Isle of Wight Radio (23/07/2010).

“Mr Pugh’s statements expose a lack of comprehension to the limitations of caller location technology and the importance of local knowledge in dealing with emergency 999 calls to the Fire Service.

“The role, knowledge, professionalism and exemplary level of service delivered by Firefighters (Control), in Newport, is integral to the safety of the public and Firefighters.

“Local knowledge is becoming more, not less important in dealing with emergency calls to the Fire Service, with rapidly changing methods of making telephone calls increasingly exposing the weaknesses in automated caller location technology.

“Mr Pugh is making comments about a frontline emergency service to the residents and visitors of the Isle of Wight. We believe his implied proposed changes would deliver an inferior level of service to the public and Firefighters of the Isle of Wight, with little or no savings to local council tax payers (as experience with 5 years late, vastly over budget proposed Regional Fire Control Centre is showing).

“The Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government have repeatedly stated such services would not be cut or undermined by the strategic spending review. Mr Pugh is implying that the local austerity cuts will contradict this national position of the Government.

“Local Fire Control staff would welcome the opportunity for Mr Pugh to meet with them so that he is made more fully aware of the role of Firefighters (Control) and delivery of the emergency service at a local level.”

Ends

Press Contacts

Andrew Cooper, Control Branch, Isle of Wight, FBU, 07889 182 762

Paul Watts, Control National Sectional Committee, 07917 065 863

Cllr David Pugh: ‘Fire Control Centre Could Be Scrapped’

During an interview on Isle of Wight Radio, Cllr David Pugh made the statement that the ’[Isle of Wight] Fire Control Centre Could Be Scrapped’:

Listen to the interview here: Cllr David Pugh: ‘Fire Control Centre Could Be Scrapped’ (opens in new window).

‘The fire control centre on the Isle of Wight which takes emergency 999 calls could be scrapped and merged with the mainland.

It’s one of the measures being investigated by Isle of Wight Council in its latest austerity cuts.

The local authority says it wants to keep the fire service on the Island but funding to keep the call centre is very expensive. Council officers have been ordered to study the impact of ditching the centre on the Island and report back to councillors in September.

Leader of the Council, David Pugh, told Isle of Wight Radio, “While there maybe some concerns in knowing localities and where places are, all the evidence shows that combining fire control with another part of the country maybe more cost effective. We wouldn’t be looking that far. We want to keep the fire service itself on the Island and modernise it”.’

The Isle of Wight branch of the FBU will be making a formal statement soon.

Lease costs for South East Regional Control Centre announced

Lease costs for South East Regional Control Centre (SERCC) have been announced.

The figures show that the South East Regional Emergency Fire Control has a 25 year lease costing £46 million.

Breaking this down per annum is an annual cost of £1.84m.

Dividing this figure down further to County level (for the nine counties for the RCC: Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Berkshire) means the cost per annum to the local tax payer will be £204,445.

Additional figures that would have to be added to the above annual costs for the Regional Fire Control Centre (based in Fareham) would be £396,825 per annum (£44,091 for the Isle of Wight) for facilities management services (provided by VT Flagship), Firelink (radio contract costs – unknown) and staffing costs (unknown).

All of these additional charges would be levied to Isle of Wight council tax payers to the Fire Authority of the Isle of Wight Council.

The IT solutions (provided by EADS) costs are £200 million. Whilst ongoing consultants have cost £52m since the Regional Fire Control Centre (FiReControl project as it is known) inception in 2004.

Additional costs include the project management at the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister – the then John Prescott), along with the South East Regional Management Board for FiReControl.

The project is five years behind schedule and massively over budget.

The nine Regional Fire Control Centre buildings lie empty costing £40,000 per day in rent (source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/7533673/Will-this-waste-of-our-money-never-stop.html).

Projected savings have not materialised. The Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre was originally due to move to the South East Regional Control Centre (in Fareham) in 2007, but is now due to move in 2012, with rumours of further delays to the project. Isle of Wight Fire Control staff have seen their jobs under threat for the past six years.

The FiReControl project is currently subject to the spending review being carried out the the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition has promised to provide services at a local level.

Source: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-07-22a.9947.h&s=firecontrol#g9947.r0

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/7533673/Will-this-waste-of-our-money-never-stop.html

Next Page »