Residents urged to have their say!
Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service are urging residents to have their say on the proposed improvements to the fire and rescue service.
Since the launch of the consultation on 14th September 2009, 117 residents have officially had their say through the consultation process.
Chief Fire Officer, Paul Fuller said:
“We know that residents in Warwickshire will want to have their say about how these proposals affect the area where they live. However, with numerous campaigns being run through the local press and social networking sites, residents are actually forgetting to have their views heard through the official consultation process.
“To respond to what is a changing environment with huge shifts in housing, industry and transport, Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service has to change. What that change looks like won’t be known until we have gathered the views of our residents and looked seriously at the proposals put forward to ensure that we are a fitter, stronger fire and rescue service.
“In addition to thinking about their local stations, residents need to be aware that if changes are not made, then we can’t invest in firefighter training, fire prevention with activities like home fire safety checks and educating children in schools, new equipment such as the new boat proposed for the south of the county and the small fires units proposed for the north and south of the county.
“We do have difficult decisions to face and we understand there will be local fears, but through local consultation we want to work with communities to find the best solutions for their localities."
Leader of the Council, Alan Farnell said:
“I do appreciate that residents will have concerns, but one plan cannot go ahead without the other, which means that we need to take action. The Audit Commision has told us that we are not providing value for money and we have a duty to the tax payer to ensure that we provide value for money whilst ensuring that we have a fire and rescue service which is fit for the future.”
Public consultations are being held throughout the county starting in Atherstone on the 28th September. To have your say log onto http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue