Fire chiefs have issued a stark warning that lives could be lost in the North East unless the Government urgently addresses a funding crisis.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) says funding has reached “desperate levels” with the jobs of up to 50 frontline firefighters at risk unless the new Prime Minister acts quickly.
Chief Fire Officer Stuart Errington, who is due to step down in January after 30 years in the service and nearly eight years as CFO, says the crisis is the worst he has known in his career.
“Issuing this warning is not something we would ever do lightly, but we have been left with no option – we are in a grave situation, with lives at risk,” said CFO Errington (below).
“It’s as bad as I’ve known it and I have serious concerns about the future of the service as a highly respected and professional organisation unless the Government wakes up to the reality of what we are facing.
“Our firefighters have adapted in every way possible, accepting news ways of working, but there is nowhere left to look for savings without eating into frontline services.”
CDDFRS is recognised by His Majesty’s Inspectorate as being high performing, efficient and extremely productive, and last year it was named UK Fire and Rescue Service of the Year at the Public Sector Transformation Awards.
CFO Errington’s fears have been echoed by Fire Authority chair, Councillor John Shuttleworth (below), who said: “We have requested meetings with ministers, but they have fallen on deaf ears. The situation is so critical that we’ll get on a train to London and bang on their doors if necessary – it’s at the point of desperation.”
The budget runs from the beginning of April to the end of March and a provisional funding settlement from the Government is expected in December. Unlike police forces, which are funded through the Home Office, fire and rescue services’ funding comes via the Department for Levelling-up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).
Amid the frustration, CFO Errington and Councillor Shuttleworth have written to Michael Gove, who is Secretary of State for Levelling Up, warning they will have to make “unacceptable decisions” if significant inflationary pressures are not matched by increases in Government funding.
The letter, which has been copied to County Durham and Darlington MPs, adds: “If inflationary pressures are not covered by funding increases in the Local Government settlement, the result will be a reduction in frontline wholetime and on-call firefighters with removal of fire engines and a resultant degradation in service.
“This will increase response times and risk and reduce the level of vitally important prevention and building inspection work.”
Up to 2014/15, CDDFRS received £1.3m a year in capital funding to spend on replacement fire appliances and buildings. That funding has completely gone due to a “stealth cut” and every new appliance and fire station now has to be funded from the revenue budget, nearly 65 per cent of which comes from council tax, and the rest from the Government grant and business rates.
As well as more grant funding, CFO Errington and Councillor Shuttleworth are calling for greater flexibility on the council tax. At present there is a limit of two per cent on a Band D property, equating to around £2-a-year per household. That generates additional income for CDDFRS of £380,000 compared to a £750,000 deficit from non-pay budgets with inflation running at 10 per cent. The fire chiefs want that to be increased to £5 per Band D property, equating to just 10 pence a week per household.
“I honestly believe the people of County Durham and Darington would pay an extra 10p a week to protect the number of firefighters in the interests of public safety,” said CFO Errington.
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