Despite the fact that there are no real tax cuts on the horizon, a local firefighter has spoken out about extensive cuts to the West Midlands Fire Service, the results of which he describes as “dangerous and demoralising” (Birmingham Mail).
The firefighter claims that crews in Birmingham struggle whenever there is a fire under current conditions and clearly dreads the implications of these cutbacks which affect the West Midlands Fire Service around Birmingham and the Black Country, and include:
• Appliances to be moved out of Birmingham and targeted response vehicles, described as “transit vans with hoses”, to move in.
• Birmingham to lose one of its two hydraulic platforms
• Bournebrook will lose one of its two engines
• West Bromwich will lose an engine
• Tettenhall will lose its night cover altogether.
All whilst twelve bought and paid for fire engines sit idle in Birmingham due to the costs of running them. Something that clearly wasn't considered before they were purchased at some expense...
It seems that whoever has been controlling the budget has made some grave errors of judgement and consequently the risk to the public from fire related accidents inevitably increases.
As the taxpayer delves deeper and deeper into their purse the very least they might expect is adequate emergency services but it appears that the parameters of government waste extend to infringe upon even the absolute essentials.
Worryingly, the mismanagement at work here not only leaves us all out of pocket, but puts our very lives at risk.