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Governments Fire Reform in Shambles
Saturday, 8th January
Information from John Prescott's Office and the Bain Review suggests that the Governments policy on Fire Service Reform is in complete shambles. Government Ministers are desperately trying to divert public attention away from their own untenable position by forcing firefighters into a strike that they will condemn as unpatriotic.
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Authorities, feel that they are left with no option but to tough it out. To concede now would be political suicide. Therefore, they will persist in implementing the recommendations of the Bain Review despite glaring contradictions. However, many sources believe that this dispute may still bring down the Government as the full extent of its duplicity becomes known.. It is likely that some Chief Fire Officers may also come under scrutiny as their politically convenient silence and implicit support would seem to contradict their findings expressed in the Pathfinder Report.
The first inklings that all was not well with the Government's proposed 'modernisation' came with the leaking of the Pathfinder Report. Tony Blair is said to be furious that this document has become public knowledge. When its findings are compared with those of the Bain Review it is obvious that the impetus to dismantle firefighters conditions of service derive from the Governments own political agenda rather than operational needs. Even more damming are statements which clearly show how the Governments unseemly haste to repeal section 19 of the Fire Services Act is a blatant attempt to circumvent public and political protest at the closure of fire stations and cutting local Fire Services.
Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford has tried to dismiss firefighters claims that this report suggests an urgent need for a 'very significant increase in staff and levels of investment'. He points out that these claims are based on just one section of the Pathfinder Report. They is true: they are based on adopting the safest option However, if this this country can no longer afford the safest option for its citizens, it is incumbent on this Government to say what level of risk it does find acceptable.
During the development of Pathfinder, Government Officials stressed the importance of determining cost implications of setting the risk criteria at at a range of higher and lower levels. These criteria dictate the speed of response, and its weight in terms of number of appliances and personnel. In turn this will prescribe the location of fire stations, equipment and firefighters and is the major component in the total cost of the Fire Service. It is the main determining factor for Fire Service performance and subsequent public safety. The FBU argue for the safest - and the most expensive of these options. The Government should say on which of these risk criteria it is basing its own decisions to cut back the Fire Service.
If the Bain Review can make definitive proposals for the future development of the Fire Service, with accurate costings and recommendations for reducing the number of firefighters, then such figures must assume some level of risk criteria. However, a spokesman for Professor Bain was not aware of such criteria. He argued that their proposals were based on a 'dramatically increased fire prevention programs' and consequently the number of firefighters was , to some extent, irrelevant.
Mr Prescott's Office have, so far, chosen not to address this issue. Perhaps they feel that the British public do not care, or do not need to know what value the Government place on their safety. However, pressure is mounting on them to disclose what level of risk they are basing their decision to cut firefighters jobs and close fire stations. It is a question which they will not be able to avoid for much longer. They cannot sell the British public a substandard level of safety by portraying ordinary hard-working firefighters as a gang of militant Luddites who are trying to hold progress.
Mr Prescott. Tell the people what level of risk assessment the 'New Fire Service' is to be based on.
Mr Prescott. Tell people, when Section 19 is repealed, what measures will be taken to ensure that Chief Fire Officers will only close local fire stations on their professional judgement of operational needs and not because of budgetary pressure from your office.
Saturday, 8th January
Information from John Prescott's Office and the Bain Review suggests that the Governments policy on Fire Service Reform is in complete shambles. Government Ministers are desperately trying to divert public attention away from their own untenable position by forcing firefighters into a strike that they will condemn as unpatriotic.
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Authorities, feel that they are left with no option but to tough it out. To concede now would be political suicide. Therefore, they will persist in implementing the recommendations of the Bain Review despite glaring contradictions. However, many sources believe that this dispute may still bring down the Government as the full extent of its duplicity becomes known.. It is likely that some Chief Fire Officers may also come under scrutiny as their politically convenient silence and implicit support would seem to contradict their findings expressed in the Pathfinder Report.
The first inklings that all was not well with the Government's proposed 'modernisation' came with the leaking of the Pathfinder Report. Tony Blair is said to be furious that this document has become public knowledge. When its findings are compared with those of the Bain Review it is obvious that the impetus to dismantle firefighters conditions of service derive from the Governments own political agenda rather than operational needs. Even more damming are statements which clearly show how the Governments unseemly haste to repeal section 19 of the Fire Services Act is a blatant attempt to circumvent public and political protest at the closure of fire stations and cutting local Fire Services.
Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford has tried to dismiss firefighters claims that this report suggests an urgent need for a 'very significant increase in staff and levels of investment'. He points out that these claims are based on just one section of the Pathfinder Report. They is true: they are based on adopting the safest option However, if this this country can no longer afford the safest option for its citizens, it is incumbent on this Government to say what level of risk it does find acceptable.
During the development of Pathfinder, Government Officials stressed the importance of determining cost implications of setting the risk criteria at at a range of higher and lower levels. These criteria dictate the speed of response, and its weight in terms of number of appliances and personnel. In turn this will prescribe the location of fire stations, equipment and firefighters and is the major component in the total cost of the Fire Service. It is the main determining factor for Fire Service performance and subsequent public safety. The FBU argue for the safest - and the most expensive of these options. The Government should say on which of these risk criteria it is basing its own decisions to cut back the Fire Service.
If the Bain Review can make definitive proposals for the future development of the Fire Service, with accurate costings and recommendations for reducing the number of firefighters, then such figures must assume some level of risk criteria. However, a spokesman for Professor Bain was not aware of such criteria. He argued that their proposals were based on a 'dramatically increased fire prevention programs' and consequently the number of firefighters was , to some extent, irrelevant.
Mr Prescott's Office have, so far, chosen not to address this issue. Perhaps they feel that the British public do not care, or do not need to know what value the Government place on their safety. However, pressure is mounting on them to disclose what level of risk they are basing their decision to cut firefighters jobs and close fire stations. It is a question which they will not be able to avoid for much longer. They cannot sell the British public a substandard level of safety by portraying ordinary hard-working firefighters as a gang of militant Luddites who are trying to hold progress.
Mr Prescott. Tell the people what level of risk assessment the 'New Fire Service' is to be based on.
Mr Prescott. Tell people, when Section 19 is repealed, what measures will be taken to ensure that Chief Fire Officers will only close local fire stations on their professional judgement of operational needs and not because of budgetary pressure from your office.
