Isle of Wight 24hr Golf Challenge 2010 for the Paul Fletcher Memorial Fund
March 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under News, News - Local
A team of Hampshire Constabulary staff are holding the Isle of Wight 24 hour Golf Challenge on 2 July of 2010 to raise funds for the Paul Fletcher Memorial Fund.
This will comprise of the team completing all eight Isle of Wight golf courses in the 24 hours; further details are via the link below.
On Friday 02nd July 2010, Three employees of the Hampshire Constabulary on the Isle of Wight, who knew Paul, not only through his time when he worked for the Police, but also through Paul’s love of football and golf, will attempt to play every golf hole on recognised golf courses on the Isle of Wight. A total of 94 holes.
Further details here:
http://www.paulfletchermemorialfund.org.uk/fundraising/isle-of-wight-24hr-golf-challenge-2010/
Thanks goes to the generosity of the Isle of Wight Golf Courses that have supported this fundraising event.
Related links:
Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service
IW Section of the Fire Service Sports and Athletic Association
Sandown and Shanklin Golf Club
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.
Related links:
Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Fire Service Regional Control Centre at Fareham – how much is it costing taxpayers?
November 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under FiReControl - Regionalisation of Emergency Fire Controls, News, News - Local
The answer is revealed in a recent House of Commons – Written Answer, of 4th November 2009.
Ongoing monthly costs are £163,000 (including rent, utilities and facilities management)
Since the 15 May 2008 the control has cost £2,356,788
The Government’s FiRecontrol Project is 5 years behind schedule and massively over budget, with continual slippage of the project.
The Fire Service South East Regional Control was due to open in the Autumn of 2007 and is currently due to open in the February of 2011.
Nationally £45.3 million has currently (to the end of February 2009) been spent on consultants for the project since it’s inception in 2004 (source: http://www.fbu.org.uk/newspress/pressrelease/2009/07_15.php).
The full written answer is shown below.
Baker – Fire Services (Fareham)
Wed, 4 November 2009 | House of Commons – Written Answer
Summary
The following question was answered on 04 November 2009.
Contents
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much public money has been spent on the proposed Fire Service Regional Control Centre at Fareham; how much is being spent on a monthly basis in maintaining the facility; and what the monetary value is of contractual obligations entered into in respect of the building. [296401]
Mr. Malik: Since practical completion on 15 May 2008, expenditure on Fareham Regional Control Centre has been £2,356,788. The current monthly cost of the facility including rent, utilities and facilities management is approximately £163,000. The contractual cost for the lease over the full 25 year lease term is £43,337,023 including uplifts for inflation. The contractual cost for the facilities management over the full seven year contract term is £2,635,876.