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Nov 23 2011 -- Fire chiefs in Bucks have been accused of putting people’s lives at risk by planning to move the county’s emergency call centre to Cambridgeshire.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) say Bucks and Milton Keynes Fire Authority bosses took a decision behind closed doors to move the Aylesbury control room to Huntingdon earlier this year and dismissed a number of other options without making the evidence public or carrying out any consultation.

But the fire authority has hit back, saying the union’s claims are ‘alarmist and inaccurate’.

FBU Control representative Makyla Greaves, who works in the Aylesbury centre, said: "The firefighters working in Aylesbury in the command and control room are essential to the efficient functioning of our service and an essential part of the Fire Service Team.

"Any cuts here threaten the level of service provision to the public and the level of essential support provided for our fire crews at incidents. We are the front line of the front line."

But Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Mark Jones hit back at the FBU claims: "We are aware of the statement issued by the FBU and are disappointed that they appear to be willing to mislead the public with alarmist and inaccurate statements.

"The Fire Authority’s decision to explore the option of entering into a partnership with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service for the provision of emergency control room services is very much in the public domain.

"So as to preserve the commercial interests of taxpayers some of the business rationale of the project’s initial phase was heard in closed session – as is the case for all public authority matters of commercial business sensitivity."

He added: "One of the keys to success of any Control Room relocation is that the public will not notice any change when they dial 999. Any suggestions that public or firefighter safety would be compromised by changes of Control provision is ridiculous and neither I or the Authority would ever advocate a change which would prejudice public or staff safety."

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.harrowobserver.co.uk

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