THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME?
As part of the Local Government Reform programme in England the governance of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) will be transferring to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) from April 2023 following a decision announced by the Home Secretary.
Commenting on the approval of Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall to take control of the county’s fire service, TUC Northern Regional Secretary Liz Blackshaw said: “Not only has this take over been rejected by the public, but it also risks fire station closures and firefighter job losses, which would cause slower response times and ultimately threaten public safety.
“On top of this, the move weakens governance by giving fire management to a single official and risks fire and rescue being seen as an arm of policing rather than the humanitarian service that it is.
“There is a whole list of cons to this merger, but no pros. We urge Mr McCall to reconsider and move forward with a democratically reached solution instead.”
A spokesperson for the Fire Brigades Union said: “The Fire Brigades Union know that Firefighters enjoy the highest levels of public trust, satisfaction and confidence in the UK with the skills and expertise communities know they can rely on.
“Their role as independent and impartial life-savers enables them to reach all communities, in difficult political and social circumstances.
“The public’s view of the police, and reception to them, is often quite different.
“Association with the police through shared governance or service mergers could damage the reputation firefighters have built up in neighbourhoods over decades, and which they rely upon in order to have access to people’s homes for vital fire prevention and rescue work.”