Council hears fire service vision

6:46am Tuesday 15th July 2008

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HEREFORD & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service outlined their vision for the future of the service at an Evesham town council meeting last night.

Area manager Paul Amos, based in Worcester, had come to speak to councillors about the service's Integrated Risk Management Plan 2009 - 2012 and the broad range of priorities which will be delivered over the next three year period.

He spoke of how they intend to improve the level of service, especially to rural areas, while battling to meet costs after losing out in the governments recent Comprehensive Spending Review.

"Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue are in the lowest three per cent for funding but in the top 25 per cent for performance" said Mr Amos.

"We strive to get an appliance to a home in 10 minutes at least 75 per cent of the time, and a second appliance there in five minutes 75 per cent of the time. This is the Home Office standard.

"The plan has shown us that Hereford and Worcester is at low to medium risk which means our fire stations are in the right place. We also plan to make an investment of £100,000 towards staff training and look at possible collaborations with other fire and rescue authorities."

However, the Risk Management Plan also detailed the loss of 12 posts, one from each watch at Redditch, Bromsgrove and Kidderminster.

Chief fire officer, Paul Hayden, added: "These proposals have been designed as a balance package' of measures, meeting both our ambitions to improve community safety whilst meeting the financial realities we face.

"We know that we have to be efficient following our disappointing government budget settlement this year and our proposals suggest ways in which we can make savings without impacting community safety."