THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION

Immediate Release – 9th June 2011

Give local people a real say in how their Fire & Rescue Service is Run

The Fire Brigades Union have welcomed the opportunity for IW councillors to debate and reverse the decision to transfer the Island’s emergency 999 fire control room to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Newport East Councillor Geoff Lumley has tabled the following motion to the full council to be held at County Hall next week – Wednesday 15th June:

Council resolves, in the light of increasing public concern, to reverse the 2011 Budget decision and subsequent delegated decision (15/11) to transfer the IW Fire Control service to Surrey Fire & Rescue Service. Further it agrees that any future alternative provision of this service must be Island based.

The delegated decision to transfer the Island’s emergency fire control centre, based in Newport, was taken by Cllr Barry Abraham who, despite several invites, did not consult with the FBU who represent the views of IW firefighters and emergency control staff.

That decision, if implemented would see Island council tax payers subsidising Surrey county council by at least £216,000 every year so that emergency 999 calls can be answered and managed some 80 miles from the Island, with the loss of vital local knowledge and no guarantees of improved service to the Island’s residents, businesses and visitors.

FBU Regional Control Rep Paul Watts said “The IW FBU applaud the efforts of Cllr. Lumely in gaining sufficient support for the motion from eleven other councillors and hope that all Councillors give careful consideration which way their local constituents would wish them to vote on Wednesda

“It’s been less than a year since the Conservative Minister Bob Neil addressed the National Fire Conference and said “Our three priorities will be in order of priority, one, localism, and we’ll weave that into everything we do. The second is localism, and the third is, you’ve guessed it localism.” He went on to say “Activity should take place at the most local level possible to give people a real say in what happens in their area”

“We hope that members of the conservative group will do the right thing for their constituents and reverse this flawed decision that has serious consequences for IW residents, businesses and visitors should it proceed. This will give local people an opportunity to have a real say in how their Fire & Rescue Service is run.

“This could be a final chance for elected and accountable councillors to draw back from the edge of a disaster that will see the Island with an inferior 999 emergency fire control service. We hope they do not waste it.’

ENDS

Press Contacts

Paul Watts   FBU Regional Control Official 07917 065869

Pete Mawhood  FBU Brigade Chair    07775 597127

Matt Sainsbury  FBU Brigade Secretary  07917 065866

Ricky Matthews  FBU Regional Secretary  07917 065863

Related downloads:

Download BOB NEILL SPEECH TO FRS HARROGATE TUESDAY 29th JUNE 2010 as PDF

Fire Brigades Union Officials are dismayed that Cabinet Member for Fire and Community Safety, Councillor Barry Abraham, will be making a decision on the transfer of the Island’s emergency fire control to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service today without taking up the offer of a briefing from the Fire Brigades Union about their significant concerns.

An invite to Councillor Barry Abraham was made by IOW FBU Officials last week and was repeated during the Ian Mac show on Vectis Radio but has not been responded to.

Pete Mawhood, IOW FBU Chair, said “Regrettably Councillor Abraham has failed to respond and once again we extend the invite to him and any other Councillors who wish to be briefed about our concerns. We are extremely disappointed that such a critical decision will be made without input from our members”.

During the past 24 hours Cllr. Abraham received the current 1,800 plus signatories of the ongoing petition to ‘Save the isle of Wight Fire Control Centre’, including 100 plus signatories from serving Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service firefighters (wholetime, retained and control), officers and civilian staff.

Paul Watts, FBU Regional Control Rep, said ‘This reflects the deeply held concerns within the IOW Fire Service at the prospect of the moving the Fire Control to the mainland and FBU members are strongly opposed to the plan. They have not had the opportunity to formally comment on the proposals nor have their views been sought by senior managers or the IOW Council’.

He added ‘The loss of vital local knowledge could mean a delay to the mobilisation of fire appliances in response to emergencies. It goes without saying that any delay due to uncertainty could, in a critical situation, have life-threatening consequences’.

Ends

Notes for Editors:

The Isle of Wight Council are proposing to close the Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre in Newport, Isle of Wight, with the calls answered by the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service Control (Reigate, Surrey).

Councillors were only given twenty-four hours notice of the additional items on the agenda for the Full Council meeting, including the issue of the Island’s Fire Control Centre back in September 2010.

The Outline Business Case (September 2010) and Full Business Case (March 2011) were published and no consultation with island residents or businesses has taken place.

The latest delegated decision report (published Friday 15 April 2011) states that the cutover date for transfer to Fire Control Centre in Reigate, Surrey is 30 September 2011. The publication gave ten days for Councillors to comment, however, with two weekends and two bank holidays there are only 4 working days to comment in reality.

Fire Service Modernisation debated by the Economy and Environment Scrutiny Panel, 27 April 2011:

http://ventnorblog.com/2011/04/27/fire-service-modernisation-to-be-debated-by-economy-and-environment-scrutiny-panel/

Revised date for cutover August 2011. Permanent transfer September 2011

April media interview with the FBU:

http://ventnorblog.com/2011/04/26/your-last-chance-to-comment-on-fire-control-moving-to-surrey-podcast/

http://ianmacphonein.podomatic.com/entry/2011-04-21T11_39_33-07_00

http://www.iwradio.co.uk/newscentre/iw-radio-news/heat-rises-over-999-fire-calls-move-2296

The ongoing petition ‘Save the Isle of Wight Fire Control Centre’ has reached 1830 signatories as at 27 April 2011; the petition was delivered to Cllr Barry Abraham and to Democratic Services, I.W. Council, County Hall, Newport. Isle of Wight within the past 24 hours.

Delegated decision by Cllr Barry Abraham, Cabinet Member for Fire & Community Safety, expected on 28 April 2011.

Related links

http://www.firewontwait.com

http://www.facebook.com/fbufirewontwait

http://www.isleofwightfbu.com

http://www.fbur12.org.uk

http://www.fbu.org.uk

Document downloads:

Delegated Decision Fire Control – PDF

APPENDIX A – Delegated Decision Fire Control PDF

APPENDIX B – Delegated Decision Fire Control PDF

Paper B – Delegated Decision Fire Control PDF

FBU fire wont wait a5 flyer 042011s as a PDF (1.5MB)

Letter to Cllr Barry Abraham from FBU 27 April 2011 as a PDF

A secret document outlining the costs involved with the permanent closure of the IOW’s only emergency 999 fire control room have been leaked to the Fire Brigades Union. If approved it would see Isle of Wight council tax-payers subsidising Surrey residents, whilst at the same time see a lesser service for Islanders in future.

FBU IOW Control Representative Andrew Cooper said “The lack of foresight, depth and clarity in this report is astounding, given the recent history of the Government wasting £460m+ on the abandoned regional fire control centres over the past eight years.

“The Fire Control Full Business Case raises more questions than it answers. It’s riddled with inaccuracies and assumptions that make it unsafe to base such a vital decision on. The report hugely understates the specialist and local knowledge of the island that is used by IOW Fire Control staff on a daily basis to give local residents the best possible and safest service. The report only considers the option to outsource to Surrey and has failed to adequately explain why other local solutions have not been researched, costed and presented as an alternative.

“None of the professional views and serious concerns expressed by IOW 999 Fire Control Staff appear in the report. As such it is not a balanced open report, nor does it include any costs to society, therefore withholding vital information from the public.

Cost assumptions within the report are widely inaccurate and give a distorted picture of the costs of the current control. In 2009 the control costs were disclosed to DCLG as £483,000. The report now states them as over £600,000 with no breakdown or explanation for such a significant rise.

FBU Regional Secretary Ricky Matthews said “There are so many assumptions made throughout the document it has become almost worthless. How can councillors agree to permanently close the islands only emergency fire 999 control room, effectively making 12 dedicated long serving IOW firefighters redundant, based on assumptions:-

• Its assumed that Councillors in Surrey will support the plans • Its assumed that the additional funding needed is available • Its assumed that control of the project remains with the IW FRS • Its assumed that the other essential services that carried out by emergency control staff will pass to the council • Its assumed that IW Fire & Rescue Service would look to a 5 year contract as a minimum

FBU Regional Control Representative, Paul Watts said “This proposal is being pushed through at a time whilst there is currently a Government consultation taking place on the future of emergency control rooms. I would urge Cllr’s to wait for the outcomes of that consultation. Failure to do so could cost the island tens of thousands of pounds in Govt grants and would ensure that the costs already invested in this botched plan don’t become significant.

Ricky Matthews added “Unfortunately if the Council agrees the proposals presented to them it will leave the FBU little alternative other than to begin legal action. This will be to defend residents’ rights to maintain their island emergency service and to protect IOW firefighter’s employment rights. This course of action will undoubtedly be a lengthy and expensive process for both sides, but I hope it can still be avoided.

“We believe Councillor’s need to pause, take stock and look at the reality of what’s being presented to them. There is far too much risk which is outside the control of the Council on the IOW to make this a viable plan.

“The Fire Brigades Union has previous experience of working jointly with Cllr’s and senior officers to find solutions to difficult problems. Given the opportunity we can provide alternative solutions which benefits Cllr’s, Officers, firefighters and most importantly Island residents, even at this late stage.

“We strongly urge Councillors & The Chief fire officer to shelve this botched proposal and enter into meaningful consultation with the FBU and the islands professional command & control staff to find a suitable alternative solution.

ENDS

Press Contacts

Andy Cooper IOW Control Rep 07889 182762

Ricky Matthews FBU Regional Secretary 07917 065863

Paul Watts FBU Regional Control 07917 065869

Sharon Riley FBU Executive Council Member Control 07889 088423

Further info can be found at

www.firewontwait.com

www.fbur12.org

www.mad26.org