Fire engine

After a review of its services and a drop in call-outs the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority is making major changes

Fire chiefs have approved plans to close eight fire stations in the county.

The move is part of a 25 per cent budget cut the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority says it has to make over the next three years.

It says the closures will mean the service can deal with the modern challenges it faces and insure stations and equipment are in the right place. Along with the closures five more stations will be built to take their place.

The authority – which oversees the way KFRS is run - looked at the results of a public consultation based on the findings of a three year review. The review was prompted by a 25 per cent drop in incidents.

Bryan Cope, chairman of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “The safety of the public and our firefighters is always our top priority. However all of the evidence shows that we have eight more fire engines than we need, even to deal with a major emergency.

Several stations – some established in Victorian times - are now in the wrong location, while in other areas we need more emergency cover. We can’t ignore that evidence, which is why we propose building five new stations and closing eight that are not needed.

The stations that will be closed include: Matfield, Halling, Horton Kirby, Sturry, Seal, St Margaret’s, Queenborough, and Rusthall. A second fire engine will also be removed from Hythe.

The new stations being built include two new stations in New Ash Green and Herne Bay, along with a new station already planned for Ramsgate and in two new stations in the Medway Towns.

There will be no compulsory redundancies but firefighters are being offered redeployment to another nearby station or alternative flexible contracts.

Mr Cope said: “Like everyone else in the public sector, we have to make significant savings. However, our three year review was begun before the economic downturn and focused on safety not cost cutting. Today’s decisions will give Kent and Medway a fire service ready to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century.”

The authority is also looking at other ways to save money, such as standing fire engines down during slack periods and using alternative ways to get to emergencies such as fast response 4x4 units.

One of the least busy stations in the survey was St Margaret’s near Dover. It had less than one incident per month last year. In the last five years there have been no fatalities, casualties or rescues from house fires needed in the and the authority says its incidents can be covered by Dover and Deal fire stations.

However the decision has been condemned by the Fire Brigade Union who says the changes will affect response times. They say some will increase by as much as four and a half minutes bringing the average response time to more than 10 minutes above the authority’s own standard performance target.

FBU Kent Brigade Secretary, Mark Simmons said: “Unions, staff, members of the public, councillors and MPs have all stood in opposition to these proposals – yet Kent Fire and Rescue Service is still headlong intent to steamroller these plans through, in spite of revealing that this is not about making notable financial savings.

“To wait an extra 4½ minutes for the arrival of a fire engine is very concerning as fires spread very quickly. The fire service knows that seconds count, and any increase to response times would have an impact.

“Fighting fires is dangerous in any circumstances, but tackling a fire that has been left longer to develop creates added risks to firefighters as well as increasing the possibility of fatalities or serious casualties. It also leads to much greater damage to the property be it a home, business or other place of work.

The fire service also says it will reduce the number of call-out it attends caused by automatic fire alarm systems. It says in 98 per cent of cases they arrive to find no fire. In future it will only respond if it gets a phone call to confirm the emergency.

The closures are expected to take place by April except Horton Kirby which will remain open until the New Ash Green site is opened.