London fire stations face axe
Plans to close 12 fire stations, with the loss of 520 jobs, will be discussed at a meeting of the London Fire Authority today.
Meeting to discuss London fire station closures
Plans to close fire stations, with the loss of 520 jobs, will be discussed at a meeting of the London Fire Authority today.
Twelve fire stations could close in London, amid proposals to save £45 million over the next two years.
According to London fire commissioner Ron Dobson, around ten per cent of frontline firefighter posts will be cut, he added that he hoped firefighters would not take industrial action as a result.
Targets of attending an incident, six minutes for the first appliance and eight for the second, would remain the same
The Fire Brigaded Union has deemed the cuts "reckless and wrong".
Labour say their members of the fire authority will vote against proposals, which they believe will jeopardise safety.
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Boris spokesman: Fire stations will be 'more efficient'
A spokesman for mayor of London Boris Johnson insisted that the closure of 12 fire stations would not affect response times or fire cover in the capital:
– Spokesman for the mayor of LondonIt is essential that the London Fire Brigade continues to modernise so that it is equipped to respond to 21st century firefighting needs.
These proposals may mean a slightly smaller estate, but they also include bigger, more efficient and well-equipped modern stations.
Whilst it's right that tough decisions have to be made in times of economic uncertainty, the mayor is resolute that any agreed proposals will not reduce the capital's fire cover and target response times will be protected.
See which fire stations are affected on the ITV London site.
Fire cuts put 'safety and security of Londoners at risk'
– Navin Shah, Labour's London Assembly fire spokesmanLondon's fire brigade is facing a crisis. Today we found out we will lose 12 fire stations, 18 fire engines and 400 firefighters. This will reduce fire cover in London, these cuts will put the safety and security of Londoners at risk. How can cutting 12 of our fire stations be in the best interests of Londoners?
10% of frontline firefighter posts to be axed in London
- Around 10% of frontline firefighter posts are due to be axed
- The number of fire stations would be reduced to 100
- London Fire Commissioner hopes industrial action can be avoided
'No compulsory redundancies' - details from ITV London.
London fire stations to close in plan to save £45 million
Twelve fire stations in London are set to close with the loss of 520 jobs. The plans, unveiled by London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson, will save around £45 million over the next two years. Find out more, including which parts of the capital will be affected, from ITV London.
