TORIES VOTE TO “HEIGHTEN” FIRE RISK At a meeting of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority today (20th February 2008) Kent and Medway Conservatives voted against a Labour amendment to their budget proposals.Labour’s proposals would have ensured that three Height Vehicles would be permanently staffed and ready to attend any fire or other incident as soon as called, with another two vehicles available under present staffing conditions as back-up. Under the Tory proposals the present seven Height Vehicles would be reduced to five and none of them would be permanently staffed. The Conservative proposals could mean firefighters leaving a live fire and returning to the fire station to pick up and bring on the Height Vehicle. All of this would mean valuable time wasted and risk increased. An alternative under Conservative proposals would mean a height vehicle brought in from another more distant station - assuming that station is not out fighting fire - but this would also lead to delays. .The Tories agreed a Council Tax increase of £2.16 pence a year making Band D £63.81 per year or £1.23 per week. Labour’s proposals would have increased the Council Tax increase by only £0.27 per year or 0.5 pence per week. Together with other minor adjustments this would have met the cost of the changes.A representative of the Fire Brigades Union, representing those who tackle incidents, spoke at the meeting and also argued for permanent manning of three Height Vehicles.Leslie Christie – Labour Group Leader on the Fire Authority – said: “Our proposal would have meant an increase of less than half a pence per week and would have provided a much quicker and safer response to a call for a Height Vehicle at a fire or other rescue incident. It would also ensure a safe platform for firefighters to tackle blazes from above and give Incident Commanders an overview of the situation before committing firefighters to enter a building or, indeed, to make sure firefighters get out of dangerous situations in time.“I am shocked and disappointed that the Tory administration did not see this issue as a high priority and chose not to listen to the views of those who tackle fires on our behalf”.
LABOUR PROPOSE AN EXTRA 2P PER MONTH TO SAVE LIVES IN KENT.At the budget meeting of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority on 20th February 2008, Labour Members of the Authority will be proposing a change to the Tory Budget of an increase of just 27 pence per year.This will change the Annual Band “D” cost from the proposed £63.81 to £64.08 and, together with other minor changes within the budget, this will enable three height vehicles strategically placed around Kent to be permanently staffed, ready to go to any fire immediately their services are required. It will also include the additional two height vehicles to be maintained at their present staffing level. This compares to the Tory proposal to have a total of five height vehicles, none of them permanently staffed. The Tory proposals mean that if a height vehicle is required fire-fighters will have to return to their station from a fire so that they can then staff the height vehicle and bring it to the fire, or alternatively a height vehicle will have to be brought to the fire from another more distant fire station assuming that they themselves are not out fighting fires.Leslie Christie, Leader of the Labour Fire Authority Group, says - ”For an additional two pence per month this change can really affect the safety and the lives of the public and our fire-fighters. A readily available height vehicle is a major advantage in fighting many big fires and provides a safe base for our fire-fighters to tackle blazes from above. Clearly it also has the advantage of rescuing people from a height within its range which is considerably higher than a normal fire appliance.I believe the public of Kent will see this as their money well spent. It will still keep the overall increase in the Fire Council Tax at the same level as the increase in Pensions and other benefits.
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