West Midlands firefighters say government cuts have left them at ‘tipping point’.
West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has said fire engine response times and vital prevention work could be affected unless more government funding is made available.
The stark warning from the chief fire officer (CFO) and the chair of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, councillor John Edwards, follows their meeting with prominent MPs in Westminster.
CFO Phil Loach and Coun John Edwards raised a number of issues at the meeting, including how sustained cuts could harm the delivery of vital services to West Midlands communities.
The latest Home Office statistics reveal a 21 per cent reduction in firefighters across England since 2010, which is mirrored in the West Midlands.
The CFO and chair also voiced concerns that fire and rescue services are approaching a tipping point.
This could mean that people will have to wait longer for fire crews to arrive in an emergency
They predict a decrease in community-based prevention work with vulnerable people including the elderly and schoolchildren and they claim fire safety work with West Midlands businesses could be limited.
CFO Phil Loach said that, while WMFS continues to provide excellent prevention, protection and response services, the reductions in funding and staffing numbers are a cause for great concern.
He said: “The money we get from the Government dropped by £28m between 2011/12 and 2015/16. We’re expecting further cuts of £10m by 2020.
“The public need total confidence in their fire service to be able to deliver. It’s essential that fire and rescue services are resilient, adequately resourced and can respond quickly to a wide range of emergencies. This all needs to be based on risk, not demand.
“The fire authority chair and I are keen to work with the government to establish and implement sustainable funding mechanisms.”
Coun John Edwards, chair of West Midlands fire and rescue authority, said: “The latest figures from the Government itself expose the impact of unprecedented cuts on the fire and rescue services nationwide.
“Thousands fewer firefighters mean less prevention and protection work and a negative impact on response times.”
The government will deliver its Autumn statement on November 22.
Fire and rescue services will find out what their grants will be in mid-December.
