UK Fire Service College sale slammed by union

UK Fire Service College sale slammed by union

My comments in italics at the bottom of the article.

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16 Apr 2012

The government's decision to sell the UK Fire Service College is "outrageous", according to a union.
Earlier this month, fire and rescue minister Bob Neill announced that the college would be sold to the private sector in order to guarantee its future.
However, Prospect, which represents more than 70 staff at the Gloucestershire-based institution, has criticised the move due to the potential effect it would have on staff.
Union official Philippa Childs said: "Our members are worried about being transferred out of the public sector, not least because of the potential impact on their pay, pensions and other terms and conditions."
The union revealed that it used to be mandatory for all fire services to use the college for training and claimed that problems had occurred when brigades were given the chance to use alternative private training providers.
"It is outrageous that a national resource such as this should be privatised and thus subject to market forces which rely on making a profit in order to function," Ms Childs added.
The Fire Service College has been run as a trust since 1992 but has recently encountered financial issues - prompting the government to sell the 500-acre site.

The Fire Service College was once hailed as the best training facility in the world. The creme de la creme. Its downward spirral started when Brigades throughout the UK stopped using the Courses provided and had Regional Training Centres built.
At one time all Fire Officers would behave in exactly the same way in the same scenario. Not now.

 In Fire Safety this is highlighted by the fact that not only do different F & RS expect or ask for different standards but often induvidual Officers vary in their experience and expected standards.
I spent many happy years at the College and met many Staff both uniformed and "civillian" who were at the top of their field and this ensured a high quality of training.

It is a sad time for the UK Fire Service when this is allowed to happen.

Best of luck to the Staff and I wholeheartedly support them in their endeavours to keep their terms & conditions.