Monday, April 23 2018
Consultation on Fire and Rescue Service
You may be aware that West Sussex County Council is holding a public consultation on the future of the Fire & Rescue Service. However, you may not be aware that following previous cuts response times have increased, especially away from the major towns. The protection provided by WSCC is also hopelessly inadequate on occasions. Despite assurances that cutting front-line fire engines from 46 to 35 would help ensure at least 30 would always be available, the report reveals that at times only 10 fire engines are available.
Despite seemingly innocuous questions in the consultation, answering 'yes' will give the green light to further serious cuts. County Councillor Daniel Purchese recently warned that the public might easily miss the serious cuts in the 84 page Integrated Risk Management Plan.
We would urge individuals and organisations to respond to the consultation, answer no to the questions and to tell the County Council that the priority must be giving the fire & rescue service the resources they need to properly protect the public. The attached update gives more detail on the situation facing West Sussex residents, and more information is available on the website.