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Service Plan Objectives 2007/08

Changing the emergency cover provision at Falmouth Fire Station.

Falmouth Town Council recently considered the Fire Brigade’s annual service plan for 2007/08 and unanimously resolved to formally object, in the strongest terms, to the proposals that include the cessation of twenty four hour cover at Falmouth Fire Station, on the grounds of detriment to public safety. It is felt this is an ill-conceived reaction by Cornwall County Council to achieve budgetary savings. The Council feels that savings should be achieved elsewhere within the organisation and not in emergency and front line service provision.

The proposal not only increases risk of injury, fatality and property damage by delayed response but also imposes on unacceptable risk to responding fire fighters as incidents would be further advanced once they were able to attend.

It is not acceptable that public safety is jeopardised purely to meet a financial settlement. The Council was promised that the closure of Penryn Fire Station would not affect public safety as Falmouth would continue to retain twenty four hour cover. The nature of activity and growth in the area: Falmouth Docks, cruise ships, increasing resident and elderly population, increasing student population, increasing visitor numbers, increasing incidents of houses in multiple occupation and industrial development, all warrant the retention of a full emergency cover and the County Council is strongly urged to remove this proposal from its service plan.