6,000 people sign petition against fire cuts

Service plans to close stations and cut engines.

The online campaign was launched by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in response to proposals from the two-county fire authority to close stations and reduce the number of fire engines.

The fire service says its operation needs to be redesigned due to a fall in the number of fires, a need for more prevention work, the location of new homes and cuts in Government funding.

Deputy leader of Torbay Council Darren Cowell described the plans to redesign the service as “total madness” in a social media post linking to the petition.

After several major fires in Torbay recently, it is total madness to cut fire cover even further. PLEASE - have your say and help us keep each other safe. https://t.co/0tb8EbWvMw

— Darren Cowell (@darrencowell) July 29, 2019

His tweet came three days after a blaze at the Lime Tree pub in Paignton.

In recent weeks Torbay has seen a house fire in Shirburn Road, Torquay (pictured), which spread to three homes, and an arson attack at the derelict Shedden Hall Hotel in Torquay.

The union describes the proposals as dangerous and disastrous.

A statement on the petition page said: “These proposals are an attack on the emergency front line service in Devon and Somerset that will put both the public and firefighter lives at risk.”

It described the changes as “the biggest cuts proposals in living memory” and called on Devon and Somerset Fire Authority to reject them.

The authority is carrying out public consultation on a series of options with increasing savings.

The full changes are:  

• close eight fire stations in Appledore, Ashburton, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Kingston, Porlock, Topsham, and Woolacombe; 
• cut night cover at fire stations in Barnstaple, Exmouth, and Paignton; 
• cut the second fire engine at Crediton, Lynton, Martock and Totnes fire stations; 
• cut the third fire engine from Bridgwater, Taunton, Torquay, and Yeovil fire stations; 
• cut the day cover for the 2nd fire engine at 14 stations in Brixham, Chard, Dartmouth, Frome, Honiton, Ilfracombe, Okehampton, Sidmouth, Tavistock, Teignmouth, Tiverton, Wells, Wellington, and Williton. 

The proposals would save a total of £8.4m. Other measures include introducing six roving day-crewed engines for targeted response, alongside more prevention work.

The fire service says total fires in England have dropped by a third in the last 10 years.

It said in a statement: “We have been analysing our own data as well as data from partners. 

“This new intelligence means we know how we need to match our resources – our crews, equipment and fleet – to specific risks in each of our communities. 

“It also means we could increase our capacity for important prevention and protection work activity within our annual budget.”

Consultation on the programme of changes called Safer Together started in July and runs until 22nd September.

The fire authority is made up of councillors from the two counties with a majority of Conservatives.

It will consider responses from the consultation which includes a series of public meetings and make a decision on the proposals.

The remaining consultation meetings are:

Plymouth Library 
Central Library, 167-171 Armada Way, Plymouth, PL1 1HZ
Thursday 1st August 2019 10am-2pm

Torquay Library
Torquay Central Library, Lymington Road, Torquay TQ1 3DT
Monday 5th August 2019 11am-3pm

Bideford Library 
New Road, Bideford, EX39 2HR
Tuesday 6th August 2019 1-5pm

Barnstaple Library
Tuly Street, Barnstaple, EX31 1EL
Thursday 8th August 2019 1.30-5.30pm

Tavistock Library 
The Quay, Plymouth Road, Tavistock, PL19 8AB
Monday 12th August 2019 11am-3pm

Totnes Library 
The Mansion, Fore Street, Totnes, TQ9 5RP
Wednesday 14th August 2019 10am-2pm

Sidmouth Library
2-14 Blackmore Drive, Sidmouth, EX10 8LA
Thursday 15th August 2019 1-5pm

Tiverton Library 
Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, EX16 6SA
Monday 19th August 2019 1-5pm

Newton Abbot Library
Passmore Edwards Centre, Newton Abbot Library,
Market Street, TQ12 2RJ
Tuesday 20th August 2019 10am-2pm

Minehead Library 
Bancks Street, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5DJ
Thursday 22nd August 2019 11am-3pm

Bridgwater Library
Binford Place, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3LF
Tuesday 27th August 2019 12-4pm

Yeovil Library
King George Street, Town Centre, Yeovil, BA20 1PY
Wednesday 28th August 2019 1-5pm

Frome Library
Somerset Library Services, Justice Lane, Frome, BA11 1BE
Thursday 29th August 2019 10am-2pm

Paignton
Paignton Library, Great Western Rd, Paignton TQ4 5AG
Tuesday 3rd September  2-6pm