ECFRS has unveiled the first in a wave of plans to re-invest £1m in frontline services. The money has been earmarked for training and to improve service delivery.
Some of the cash will be spent on recruiting and training new firefighters to follow the latest recruit squad of 12 who begin training at the end of October.
Seven new instructor posts will be created to focus primarily on breathing apparatus and road traffic collision training to enhance localised training for whole-time and retained crews attending fires and road accidents. And significant funding for retained firefighters was announced today which will provide the equivalent of an extra hours training a week.
And in an effort to increase the number of home fire safety visits carried out throughout the county, where ECFRS provides advice and fits free smoke alarms to vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled, ECFRS is to recruit four new home fire safety technicians. This will free up firefighters to concentrate on their operational responsibilities while increasing ECFRS’ preventative work.
“This is new money which we have been able to find by looking for efficiencies and reinvesting in new priorities,” said Chief Fire Officer David Johnson. “By maximising our resources we are able to invest when other Fire and Rescue Services in the UK are making drastic cutbacks. This is good news for the Service and for the communities we are working to protect.
“All of the money will be spent on frontline services – none of this work is on back end services and it is proof that the Fire Brigades Union’s claims about cutbacks are unfounded. This spending forms just part of ECFRS’ first wave investment strategy and further announcements on investment can be expected.
“I have consistently said that the changes we are making are to improve the service we deliver to our communities. They are changes that will free up resources – both monetary and personnel – to be reinvested into our front line services.
“Providing dedicated breathing apparatus and road traffic collision instructors in every command, along with significantly more training time for our retained staff, will further enhance skills. This will benefit our communities and make our firefighters safer.
“Fitting more smoke detectors into homes will continue our drive for zero fire deaths and make people safer.
“I am particularly delighted that we have been able to work with the Retained Firefighters Union in a positive and constructive way to enhance training for retained firefighters and the equivalent of an extra hour a week that the RFU has negotiated can only be of benefit to the entire county, particularly in those areas that rely heavily on the dedication and commitment of these crews. This demonstrates what can be achieved through co-operation.”
Only recently the Service has announced a programme of investment for new appliances both to replace older vehicles and to introduce new capabilities to the County. ECFRS will shortly officially open a new £4.5m fire station at Rayleigh Weir and is to invest further in creating a world-class training facility at its headquarters in Kelvedon Park. All this, while achieving council tax increases that are among the lowest in the country.
Three new command support vehicles will be based at Leigh, Brentwood and Clacton. Leigh Fire Station will also get a new flood management module. A new animal rescue unit is to be housed at South Woodham Ferrers and a high volume pump at the new Rayleigh Weir Fire Station. USAR at Lexden already houses a high volume pump. New water bowsers will be sited at Chelmsford and Epping and an additional foam module at Orsett in addition to those confirmed for Maldon and Stansted.
A number of these projects are some way from final delivery. But this gives a clear indication of ECFRS’ commitment to improving frontline services. It also clearly demonstrates that despite FBU claims about the future of Leigh Fire Station, it features significantly in the Service’s future plans.
“We are doing more than we have ever done to provide an excellent, value for money service to our communities while maintaining the best equipment and training for our crews,” said CFO Johnson. “While Essex is not immune to the economic issues that face the entire country by using our money wisely, looking at new ways of doing things and maximising our resources, we are able to maintain the best possible service.”
The complete Essex specialist fleet is proposed to be based as follows:
Colchester – Aerial ladder platform and rescue tender
Harlow – Aerial ladder platform and rescue tender
Grays – Aerial ladder platform and rescue tender
Southend - Aerial ladder platform and rescue tender
Chelmsford – Aerial ladder platform, Incident Response Unit and Water Bowser
Leigh – Command Support Vehicle and Flood Module
Clacton – Command Support Vehicle
Brentwood – Command Support Vehicle
Orsett – Foam Module
Maldon – Environmental Unit, Foam Module and Welfare Module
Epping – Water Bowser
Stansted – Foam Module
Billericay – Pinzgauer
Burnham – Pinzgauer and Boat
Dunmow – Pinzgauer
Manningtree - Pinzgauer
South Woodham Ferrers - Heavy animal rescue unit
