For Your information

subject: LFEPA Public Consultation

As you will no doubt be aware, the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) has launched a public consultation on how it should achieve £6.4m of savings for the 2016/17 financial year as a result of a reduction in its government grant. 

 

LFEPA is consulting on a choice between two different operational reductions, one that is being recommended by London’s Fire Commissioner, and the other drawn up by the Fire Authority’s Labour Group.  

 

The Fire Commissioner’s proposals involve the permanent removal of the 13 ‘contingency’ fire appliances taken from service two and a half years ago to provide cover during the Fire Brigades Union strike action over pension reform. The Fire Brigade’s excellent response time data over this period has demonstrated that these appliances are no longer necessary to reach its rapid attendance targets. Whilst it is true that attendance times have marginally increased by a few seconds, the Commissioner is confident that the contingency appliances’ absence has not impacted on the safety of London, and neither would their permanent removal.  

 

In a highly politicised attempt to block the removal of the 13 contingency appliances, the Labour Group on LFEPA have drawn up an alternative option that involves a combination of additional departmental savings, a small draw on reserves, and the introduction of ‘Alternate Crewing’ (AC). AC is an operational practice that would see some of the Brigade’s specialist appliances, such as aerial appliances and Fire Rescue Units, share their crew with that of a fire appliance, rather than run independently. What this would mean in practice is that should a crew at a fire station that houses both a specialist appliance and a normal fire appliance be out attending an incident, it would leave either one of the appliances temporarily non-operational as it would have no one to run it. 

 

Whilst Alternate Crewing is something LFEPA may have to revisit in the future, the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade has expressed concern that the approach prescribed by the Labour Group has not had enough work put into developing it. He also fears the negative impact on the attendance times of Fire Rescue Units, a crucial asset in the Brigade’s response to possible marauding terrorist and CBRN attacks, as well as to every day road traffic collisions. The Conservative Group on LFEPA and the London Assembly both support the Commissioner’s proposals and put faith in the professional advice of Britain’s most senior firefighter. It is far more appropriate to remove the 13 contingency appliances, which the evidence clearly proves are no longer required, rather than risking the Brigade’s critical response to some of the worst events that could befall the Capital. 

 

The Labour politicians on the Fire Authority, and at City Hall, will no doubt use this public consultation to take aim at both Boris and Zac, spreading similar scaremongering as they did over the fire station closure programme encompassed in the 5^th London Safety Plan (LSP5). Given that last year saw the lowest number of fires and fire deaths in recorded history, whilst the London Fire Brigade continued to comfortably achieve its demanding attendance targets without the assistance of the 13 contingency appliances, it is vital that we expose Labour’s tactics for what they are, and encourage as many people as possible to respond to the consultation in support of London’s Fire Commissioner.  

 

For your information I have attached to this email (see below) a report and corresponding data on the Fire Brigade’s performance last year that serves both to demonstrate its considerable success since the closure of 10 London fire stations, and justify the permanent removal of the contingency appliances absent throughout this period.  

 

The link to the consultation documentation can be found below. I am happy to prepare briefings and help field responses to any queries or letters you may receive from constituents. If you have any questions in the meantime please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  

 

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/consultation-2016-2017.asp

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gareth Bacon AM 
Londonwide Assembly Member &

Chairman, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
City Hall 
The Queen's Walk 
London SE1 2AA

 

Tel: 020 7983 5784 
email: gareth.bacon@london.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

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