Campaigners unite to urge fire chiefs to stop the cuts

Stop the fire cuts – this was message as politicians from all sides united and urged bosses to ditch cost-saving plans to scrap an engine from Brighton and Hove.

In a week’s time, members of the East Sussex Fire Authority will discuss proposals to make £1 million of savings in the coming year.

With the service’s government grant being reduced from £14 million to £3 million, fire chiefs said they had no option but to consider reducing cover in the city.

But politicians from all sides told an audience of about 100 at the Brighthelm Centre tonight (Thursday May 29) they opposed any reduction in frontline staff, warning it would put lives at risk.

Jim Parrott, of the Fire Brigades Union, said the current plans would leave 21 firefighters covering the city at any one time.

With other pressing commitments, he said most days the reality would actually be 12.

He told those at the meeting: “12 firefighters can deal with one small house fire. Anything more than that will have to rely on surrounding areas. But the time they come in I’m afraid your lives and your property will be lost.”

A final decision will be taken by the 18 members of the fire authority next Thursday.

Des Prichard, chief fire officer in East Sussex, told the meeting it had to find £7.1 million by 2018/19 thanks to government reductions.

Mr Prichard, who has been in the service for 38 years, said even with the current savings plans, the service would still be short by more than £1 million.

He told the meeting: “I understand the issues and concerns of firefighters and residents.

“£7.1 million is an enormous figure to find when your budget is about 40 million. The size of the savings we have to make is enormous.”

To save money, Mr Prichard said the service was looking to sell its headquarters and relocate, possibly into Sussex Police headquarters.

He added: “We’ve looked to merge with West Sussex. Professionally I think it’s the right thing to do but they don’t want to. We looked towards Kent to see if they want to merge but they want to work with Essex and Kent Police. We looked toward Surrey but it was the same thing.”

Mr Prichard said while he was opposed to the privatisation of the fire service, he was “fearful” it may happen in the future.

Supporting the campaign, Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby said: “One of the strengths of the campaign is that it is cross-party. I just want to best for Brighton.

“It may only be one fire engine being cut but it will have a knock on effect across the city.”

But the Conservative MP was accused of “rank hypocrisy” by political rivals for campaigning against cuts being made by his party’s government.

Nancy Platts, Labour’s candidate in Brighton Kemptown, asked why he hadn’t done more to get his ministerial colleagues to intervene on the issue in parliament.

Davy Jones, the Green candidate for Brighton Kemptown, said: “These cuts are extremely dangerous, extremely serious and damaging.

“I do have sympathy for those at the helm of East Sussex as they have been lumbered by the coalition government for putting the fire service in this situation in the first place.”

Panellists and members of the public also raised concerns about the consultation process claiming it asked leading questions and misleading.

Some even said they were asked to come up with costed alternatives when saying they opposed the plans.

Responding to the criticisms, Mr Prichard said the service had got the advice of professionals on the process.

He added there had been exhibitions, press releases and conversations with more than 600 local organisations.

But Ms Platts called it a “sham”, adding it was confusing and full of technical language.

She said: “Anyone who takes a decision based on this shambolic process frankly doesn’t deserve a place on the fire authority.”