Union sends warning over delay to Cambridgeshire fire stations decision
A decision on whether to close the stations won't be made until after June
A firefighters' union has shared its concerns over delays on a decision to close three Cambridgeshire fire stations.
Last year, the county's fire service announced plans to redirect resources from its on-call stations in Manea, Sutton and Kimbolton to full-time sites in Ely and St Neots.
But in a letter to parish councillors, assistant chief fire officer Stuart Smith said a decision on whether to close the on-call sites won't be made until "beyond June of this year" so further analysis can take place.
"What we can't be doing is playing with people's lives where we're unable to provide that fire cover; when people need it, they need it," Mark Harriss, secretary of the Cambridgeshire Fire Brigades Union, said.
"We need to be ready for that and making these cuts is a real worry that that service won't be there when it's needed."
'Vision 2030'
Cambridgeshire Fire Service planned to use resources from Manea, Sutton and Kimbolton fire stations to crew fire engines in Ely and St Neots at weekends during the day.
The service felt this move "would provide us with two additional guaranteed fire engines".
It found in some areas, additional fire engines cannot be used as on-call crews are "unavailable for significant proportions of time due to not enough on-call firefighters at those stations."
But the proposal will now be considered under a new 'Vision 2030 project', which will assess the impact of growth in Cambridgeshire and how current resources can meet current and future demand, as well as improve on response times in certain areas.
"This will involve looking at all of our fire stations and the best way to use our resources to ensure we have enough guaranteed fire crews available to deliver our service in the most cost effective way," Mr Smith said.
He said "we do not have enough people coming forward from villages and towns with on-call fire stations" wanting to join as on-call firefighters.
Because of this, he said it is "no longer a sustainable model for us", and that other options to increase available fire engines during daytime hours are needed.
MP's plea
Steve Barclay - Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire - has encouraged villagers in Manea to keep fighting to save their local fire station, which has been at risk of closure in 2011 and 2015, rather than "take their chances in June".
Local council and mayoral elections are taking place in Cambridgeshire that month.
"The Manea station is one of the cheapest in service, and the on-call crew offer great value for money.
"Ask all the political parties, including their mayoral candidates, whether their county councillors will make a commitment not to close Manea Fire Station."
'There's not much more to give'
Mark - who's also a firefighter - believes rural and more urban areas in the county should have equal resources.
"It's beyond the point where we can continue; there's not much more to give," he said.
"I think we need to provide fire cover across the board and if that means we bring more wholetime firefighters or improve the on-call conditions, I think every community is afforded the same opportunities no matter where you live to have that same fire cover.
"I think community engagement would be a real benefit to the communities if they are potentially losing stations, they should have the opportunity to understand why."