'Lives will be lost' if budget cuts go ahead, warns West Yorkshire fire officer

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Thank goodness Fire & Police are Devolved issues.

 

17 Jul 2012

People's lives will be put at risk if the government goes ahead with plans to slash fire authority budgets in metropolitan areas, it has been claimed.

Speaking at the Commons Local Government Committee on Monday (16th July), West Yorkshire's assistant chief fire officer Martyn Redfearn warned that further cuts to services' budgets could hinder fire protection work.

When quizzed about whether budget cuts would endanger people's lives, Mr Redfearn said: "If it's cut in the next two years, just point blank cut, then what we'll end up with is all prevention work will stop and people who are most at risk will not be getting the service that they should do.

"And the fact is prevention and protection is what actually stops people dying."

The comments were dismissed by fire minister Bob Neill, who claimed that there was no evidence to back up Mr Redfearn's claims.

In December, Mr Neil is due to make an announcement on fire service's budgets for 2013-2015.