Letter to the editor – Fire cuts in Camden
Dear Editor,
As a member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, with my Labour colleagues and supported by Lib Dem and Green Authority members who backed Labour’s motion, I voted against the draconian fire service cuts that Mayor Boris Johnson intends for the fire brigade. We see these are risking the lives and property of Londoners, and despite the Conservative members of the Authority, we won the vote against the cuts.
Now Mayor Johnson has issued a directive to overrule us and to impose his cuts to decimate the fire brigade, anyway. The big picture means that there will be 12 fewer fire stations in London, 18 fewer fire engines, and 520 fewer fire-fighters across the capital. The implications are very serious for Camden. Now, before these cuts take effect, Camden has the second best fire service attendance times in London, at an average of 4 minutes 41 seconds. The cuts mean not just the loss of Belsize Fire Station which is to be closed, but the originally mooted extra fire engine replacement for Euston has been shelved, too. Neighbouring boroughs Islington and Westminster are also losing fire stations. The consequence is that attendance times in Camden on average will increase by 45 seconds- that may not sound a lot, but when you think that a fire quadruples in intensity every 2 minutes, the seconds really count.
Mayor Johnson has also cancelled our plans for proper consultation so the public can have their say, including public meetings in each Borough. It’s as if he wants to sneak these cuts through without people noticing till too late.
The fire chief has said the cuts are driven by financial considerations. Mayor Johnson wants to cut the council tax by the equivalent of just 1p per day at band D. I think most Londoners, including Camden residents, would prefer him to keep the 1p and put it towards the fire brigade instead. Mayor Johnson should not take the “p” out of the fire service, and should even now reverse these dangerous and damaging cuts.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Dismore AM
London Assembly ember for Camden and Barnet
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Member
City Hall
