There is a huge split in opinions over what should become of fire services in London and beyond.
A poll on IFSEC Global last month revealed an almost exact split in views on whether the £28.8 million cuts to London Fire Brigade are needed.
Thirty-four percent of people responded that the cuts are needed, backing the fire service’s view that with half as many fires as a decade ago, cuts are justified. But another 34 percent said that cuts are necessary but this is too much, too fast. The remaining 32 percent agreed with the Fire Brigades Union saying that the cuts were the biggest threat to the London Fire Brigade since the Blitz.
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These results show that the idea of fire service cuts is extremely contentious and also that the position of fire bosses is made considerably more difficult due to there being almost exactly the same numbers of people approaching the challenge of budget cuts with each of these three different views.
The consultation into the draft London Safety Plan (LSP5) has been extended to 17 June 2013, with the final decision into whether or not to approve the cuts being taken by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
The Fire Brigades Union has repeatedly called on the Mayor to abandon the plans. On March 15, firefighters from Woolwich fire station — among those proposed to be closed — rescued an unconscious woman from a house fire while their colleagues from Plumstead fire station were still stuck in traffic.
FBU regional secretary for London, Paul Embery said:
I have absolutely no doubt that this woman would have died if Woolwich fire station had already closed. That’s why we are right to warn against the terrible consequences of shutting fire stations. These cuts will affect real Londoners in the most devastating way. In a service like ours, seconds really do count, as this incident proves. Closing 12 fire stations will be the difference between life and death for some people.
The split in views of IFSEC Global.com users polled is indicative of the high feeling among the public and experts within the industry. The poll result also has implications beyond London, as fire services across the UK and around the world grapple with budget concerns.
In an interesting international parallel, the New London, Connecticut, fire department is also grappling with proposed cuts from their Mayor. The department was able to stave off 25 job losses last year, however, and the current cuts are at a significantly smaller level of $500,000.
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