Wednesday 12 April 2006 - 15.30hrs
The Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive of Avon Fire and Rescue
Service has publicly criticised his counterparts in Devon and
Somerset over their merger plans.
In a statement released today, Kevin Pearson said: "I agreed
with all the reasons put forward at the time by Somerset and Devon
for a strategic review of service provision. It made sense. I also
agreed with the view that combination could allow resources to be
used more effectively, or indeed could lead to a reduced burden on
council tax payers. What I don’t agree with is the limited scope of
the review that has been undertaken. Why just Devon and Somerset?
Avon offered to be included in the initial review and indeed made a
formal request to be included. Our request was refused.
"The business case that has been produced regarding this merger
has clearly convinced the Authorities in Devon and Somerset of the
benefits of such an approach. I think it regrettable that
consideration was not given to the potential for realising such
benefits on a wider scale.
"The South West region will have a regional control centre in
the next few years. Resources will be looked at and utilised across
a much wider area than just Devon and Somerset. I believe that in
the years to come we may be reflecting on this merger as a missed
opportunity for considering the most effective provision of fire
and rescue services in the South West."
Chair of Avon Fire Authority, Councillor Terry Walker, is
equally frustrated by the plan. He said: "There seems to be a
complete lack of any joined up thinking at present over the future
structure of all of the blue light services. We have seen the
creation of the Great Western Ambulance Service (the former Avon,
Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Services), we are about to hear how
the Home Office sees the future structure of the police services in
our area, which will undoubtedly be different from the ambulance
service mergers, and now we see Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue
Services doing something different again.
"It seems a narrow minded approach to me. I believe the refusal
by Devon and Somerset to widen the scope of their review had more
to do with the political baggage that exists in some parts of the
South West, rather than any practical or professional
reasoning.
"The further frustration I feel is that each of the services are
being either driven, or encouraged to take this approach, by three
different Government departments, all of whom are consistent in
justifying any change as being necessary to ‘improve resilience’
and being better prepared to deal with the ever present terrorist
threat. I personally fail to see how this will be achieved when we
look at what is going on in the South West.
"This headlong rush into the regional, or sub-regional agenda,
needs much more careful consideration, given that we are dealing
with essential emergency services. Things should either stay as
they are, or, if change is to be brought about, then a much broader
and more in-depth review needs to be
undertaken."