Cuts to our local fire and rescue services are in the pipeline. What are they thinking?
Extreme heat is the new normal, so fires are more likely. Water shortages make it harder to put them out. We have thousands more houses and a growing population. More traffic on our roads. Against all this, cutting back on fire & rescue is dangerous and irresponsible.
We’ve had three serious fires in Faversham alone in the last year or so: at Standard Quay, the Alexander Centre and Faversham Laundry. Fire crews did a fantastic job getting these under control, saving historic buildings in the town and the creek. Faversham is full of historic buildings, closely packed together. Fires spread rapidly. Old buildings burn fast.
When I heard rumours of these cuts, I immediately visited the Faversham Fire Station to talk to staff and management. The firefighters told me that the first few minutes of a fire are critical.
Likewise, when someone is injured and trapped in a crashed vehicle, every minute counts. Every minute.
It can mean the difference between life and death.
When my vehicle was hit a few years ago by a drunk driver, I had my children and animals with me. The crew from Faversham Fire Station came to our rescue. I will be forever grateful to them.
Faversham Fire Station hosts the specialist animal rescue service for the whole of Kent. When they are busy on the other side of the county, the local back-up teams are crucial. That’s what these cuts put at risk.
Faversham is the only fire station in my constituency that is directly affected by these proposed changes, however a reduction in availability could affect Kent-wide response times, especially during large incidents.
When a big incident happens, crews from neighbouring stations get called on to help. If there are fewer firefighters on call, there will be fewer hands on deck. This cannot possibly be a good idea.
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