Stop Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Cuts

On the 26th September 2013 Derbyshire Fire Authority agreed to enter into a 12 week period of consultation over a plan to reorganise fire service provision in Derbyshire to meet proposed budget cuts. This is more than reorganisation, it will result in major changes to the location of Fire Stations, reductions in staff and the way that the Fire & Rescue Service responds to incidents in Derbyshire.

The main points being:

The Loss of 16 Fire Appliances

Reduction from 12 to 5 Full Time Fire Stations

The closure and merger of 19 Retained Fire Stations

A Reduction from 31 to 20 Fire Stations overall

The Loss of 78 operational posts, with the introduction of 30 Operational Community Safety officers, which equates to a loss of 108 full time Firefighter posts lost from full time fire engines.

Introduction of 15 small response vehicles with limited capability and increased risks,

Closure and relocation of a number of existing modern Fire Stations and the building of new Fire Stations at huge expense to the taxpayer,

Potential redundancies of Retained (RDS) Firefighters through the closure or merging of existing Fire Stations.

A Reduction in Response Standards across the Whole County - only getting a Fire Appliance to you in 10 minutes 75% of the time...meaning 25% of the time it could be much longer!

The reality of these changes impact upon both the Firefighters of Derbyshire, their safety and also the safety of the public that they serve, taking longer to respond with less resources available.

The consultation period ends on the 23rd December 2013, please engage in DF&RS Consultation, express your concerns, here:

http://www.derbys-fire.gov.uk/have-your-say/transforming-service-delivery-for-2022-and-beyond-fit-to-respond-consultation

But also, sign this petition and trust us to take your concerns directly to the Derbyshire Fire Authority - Thank you, Derbyshire Fire Brigades Union