Sir Gavin Williamson is calling for the Government to urgently clarify future funding for the fire service after Staffordshire Fire and Rescue raised concerns regarding the impact of potential cuts.
The Government is currently determining how funding from the Spending Review will be allocated with fire services particularly in rural communities fearing cuts to personnel as well as station closures.
According to modelling commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council, standalone fire and rescue services face £102 million real term cuts due to Government grant reductions. This is equivalent to a loss of 1,500 firefighters.
Staffordshire Fire Service Group Manager, Jordan Money said: “It was a pleasure to meet Sir Gavin and discuss the current financial challenges facing the service. We also explored the journey the service has undertaken over the past decade, including our current wide range of initiatives delivered to make our communities as safe as possible.”
Sir Gavin said: “The fire service are a critical part of our emergency response. They do not respond just to fires, but also to road traffic collisions, flooding incidents, rescue missions, and so much more.
“As well as their emergency critical functions, fire staff provide important safety awareness to schools and residents, install and monitor smoke alarms, as well as provide training courses to young people across the country.
“Therefore, it is crucial that the fire service is adequately funded to enable their core functions to continue as well as additional responsibilities which benefit communities. I am concerned that failure to do so will see stations close and loss of personnel.
“I am calling on the Police and Fire Minister to urgently address this issue and for fire services to be adequately funded.”
