Fire brigade response times increase in 6 Barnet wards after Boris Johnson’s fire station closures
Andrew Dismore AM, Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, and member of the London Fire Authority has today revealed figures which show that 6 of Barnet’s wards now have slower fire brigade response times, after London Mayor Boris Johnson closed 10 fire stations and 14 fire engines last year.
Mr Dismore said:
‘It is not surprising that the worst ward affected ward is Mill Hill which has seen its attendance time increase by 20 seconds for the first fire engine to attend. Six Barnet wards now have longer attendance times for a first fire engine attendance.
‘This shows how important it was that my campaign against the closure of Mill Hill Fire station succeeded even thought it was opposed by the Conservative MP for Hendon. Mill Hill was on the Mayor’s original list for closure but a strong community campaign was able to save it. Mill Hill Fire Station does not serve only Mil Hill, but also for example, Burnt Oak and parts of Colindale as first attendance. The longer attendance time is a result of the way the fire service has been spread thinner due to the Mayor’s cuts. Even though we now have an extra fire engine at Hendon, it clearly is not enough given the growing population in Barnet.
‘Fires can take hold in seconds, so that’s why any increase in response times, even if only a few seconds, can be so dangerous.
‘Mill Hill and Barnet residents will be deeply concerned that since the closures it could take significantly longer for a fire engine to reach their home. These latest figures show that in six Barnet wards it will now take longer to get to fires than it did last year.’
A breakdown of the latest London Fire Service response time data can be found here.