A fire chief has slammed the government’s levelling up secretary after millions of pounds in funding was withdrawn, leaving services in the North East in a “perilous” position.
Stuart Errington, the outgoing chief fire officer at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, wrote to Michael Gove blaming the government for a “funding crisis” which he says saw £10 million cut from the region’s fire service budget in 12 years.
Mr Errington said the Conservatives have slashed government funding - including a £1.3 million payment each year to spend on new stations and appliances, which he says was “stealthily” taken away in 2014.
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“As I prepare to retire in January after a career spanning 30 years, I have never felt more fearful for the future of the highly respected and professional service that I love,” he said in the letter.
“We have been placed in a perilous position by a funding crisis that threatens to cost lives unless the Government acts responsibly.”
Mr Errington said his fire service now relies on council tax, the government grant, and business rates, but because of council tax reductions in deprived areas, wide-spread low council tax bands, and a maximum increase limit for higher band properties - not enough cash is being generated to keep the fire service functioning properly.
“We are seeking the flexibility on the council tax referendum limit to allow a £5 increase on Band D council tax for all standalone fire and rescue authorities,” he said.
“It would raise around £30 million for those authorities over and above the standard two per cent increase, and yet it would cost taxpayers just 10 pence per week. That, in our passionate view, is a small price to pay for public safety.”
The concerned chief’s calls come as he faces having to cull between 15 to 50 frontline firefighters due to the funding cuts - putting lives at risk further still.
“It is with immense pride that three generations of my family have served County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service for more than six decades,” said Mr Errington, who followed in the footsteps of his firefighting father Eddie, and whose own son, Alex, will continue the lineage.
“It is my sincere hope that in 60 years from now, it will still be the highly respected and professional operation it is today – but it breaks my heart to admit I can no longer be confident that will be the case.
“As I approach the end of my career as a firefighter, I have a final call to make: ‘This is an emergency – and we need an urgent response before it is too late’.”
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