Petition Launched To Oppose Cuts To Front-Line Fire Service

Liberal Democrat Fire Authority members have launched a petition against cuts in front-line fire emergency services. The petition is in response to plans by fire chiefs in Cambridgeshire for £6 million of cuts to the fire service budget of the Conservative-controlled authority.

The petition can be signed on-line or can be printed off in order to collect further signatures and will be presented to the Fire Authority at its meeting in October.

Opposition Leader on Cambridgeshire Fire Authority, Councillor Nigel Bell said:

“I urge people in the county to sign this petition to oppose the plans for cuts in front-line services.

“There are serious concerns about the £4 million of cuts already imposed but the extra £2 million of cuts, which will see the closure of up to 4 fire stations and the removal of fire appliances, is unacceptable because of the risk to lives through increased response times.

“We believe that cuts to front-line services are dangerous and unnecessary. Instead we should be raising Council Tax in line with current inflation and be pressing for a fairer grant settlement achieved for rural fire services. We also believe that by closer working with neighbouring Fire Services we can save money through economies of scale, for example in our management costs.”

The petition can be found at:
http://cambslibdems.org.uk/en/petition/petition-against-cambridgeshire-fire-service-cuts