Fire engine

Police and fire services should merge across Staffordshire, according to Lichfield’s MP.

The proposals to combine a number of back office functions was proposed by Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis.

Michael Fabricant MP
Michael Fabricant MP

Now Michael Fabricant has told the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark he had “lost confidence” in the Staffordshire Fire Authority.

Mr Clark said he was “very interested” in the proposals.

Mr Fabricant explained: “Staffordshire firefighters and local residents have been badly let down by the Fire Authority.

“Matthew Ellis has made proposals that will combine back office functions while strengthening front line services. The Fire Authority instead wish to preserve their own fiefdom at the cost of safety.

“The replacement of one of the two main fire tenders with a smaller vehicle which is unsuitable for house fires or major road traffic accidents is a disgrace when reorganisation could have maintained the existing vehicles and full fire protection.

“While fire fighters and police officers would maintain independence from each other, the merging of back-office functions – as happens in other countries – could provide efficiency savings while enhancing firefighting capabilities.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Kevin Ingleby
8 years ago

I,d like to know who passed the plans for the fire station to be rebuilt exactly where it is. It is on the worst road possible. Its almost always gridlocked. Why wasn,t it built by the ambulance station, which has good access to all points of the compass from there.

Simon
8 years ago

What type of fire tender is this?

Do we have to keep it away from heat and water also?

“The replacement of one of the two main fire tenders with a smaller vehicle which is unsuitable for house fires or major road traffic accidents is a disgrace when reorganisation could have maintained the existing vehicles and full fire protection.

Nomad
8 years ago

Its a disgrace when you think of the money wasted on a civic car ,it shouldn’t be up for debate ,scrap it

Darryl
8 years ago

This stinks to high heaven.

The Tory PCC has no remit for the Fire Service, the Tories, however, have cost cutting at the centre of their policies. Bringing political weight to bear on PCC’s and PCC’s acceding to that pressure, lest we forget, they were supposed to be a-political, as we were constantly reassured during their creation.

Fiefdom – don’t make me laugh Mr Fabricant, you want to save money? You want to criticise organisations for protecting their own, why don’t you and Mr Ellis turn you gaze to the police, where the PCC does have authority. There are 43 police forces in the UK and they ALL take administrative decisions, back office functions, uniform purchases, equipment purchasing and vehicles separately.

This is a prime example of political pressure being exerted through PCC’s and it flies in the face of the fundamental reason why they were created.

Shame on you both.