Have your say on fires service changes

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Fire Appliance

Fire chiefs have begun a county-wide consultation exercise in a bid to get the views of people about changes to their Fire and Rescue Service.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is changing the way it works in the face of unprecedented budget cuts and the continued reduction in incidents involving fire.

Residents, workers and visitors to Greater Manchester are being asked for their views on GMFRS' proposed changes.

The proposals for the Rochdale Borough are to reduce the number of fire-fighters on retained duty at Littleborough Fire Station from nine to five and to change the resources at Littleborough. Currently the station has two fire engines but under the new proposals they would have one fire engine, one specialist appliance, one smaller fire unit and one reserved fire engine.

Under the proposed changes Rochdale would continue to have nine fire-fighters on 24/7 duty and keep two fire engines.

Heywood could change from having 9 people on 24/7 duty to having 8 people during the day and six at night. Under the proposals Heywood would continue to have two fire engines and one specialist appliance.

Councillor David Acton, Chairman of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "The cuts imposed on the Service means that we cannot simply stay the same. We're facing anything up to a total of £25m cuts over the next three years.

"Although the Authority has spent the last two years making more efficiency savings than any other Fire and Rescue Service, reducing management and back-office costs by nearly 40 per cent and saving nearly ten per cent of our total budget, we still need to do more.

"This, coupled with the changing nature of incidents fire-fighters attend, means we must continue to work smarter and deliver our front-line services in a different way.

"We're undertaking consultation like we've never done before," added Councillor Acton.
The consultation process is now underway and closes on Monday 23 January 2012.

To read the consultation document visit: http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/media/144291/corporate_plan_2011_v11.pdf