We Must All Fight For Our Fire Services

1.15.40pm GMT Thu 22nd Feb 2007

Falmouth and Camborne MP Julia Goldsworthy visited firefighters based at Camborne Fire station on Saturday (10th February). They discussed the impact that proposed reductions to night time cover would have on the front line services.

Cornwall County Council has been asked to consider proposals to withdraw night cover from Camborne and Falmouth fire stations. This would see the replacement of full-time shift cover with a retained service after 6pm.

The proposals are now subject to a twelve-week public consultation period. The Falmouth and Camborne MP is urging her constituents to engage with the process and have their say to highlight the importance of the services that the stations currently offer.

Commenting, Julia Goldsworthy said:

"The Fire Service in Cornwall is already one of the lowest funded in the country, but the Government are still asking for savings. Having made all the efficiencies they can, any further savings can now only come from changes to front line services - which is clearly unacceptable.

"The Camborne - Redruth area is the most densely populated part of Cornwall and Falmouth fire crews have responsibilities which extend beyond the towns to the docks and at sea. Switching to a retained service in the evenings would clearly have an impact on response times.

"It is vitally important that everyone gets their say on such a significant issue. I'm meeting with the Chief Fire Officer and will be contributing formally to the consultation process, to highlight the needs of the communities who will be directly affected by these changes - I would urge everyone else to do the same."