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Chief: Reducing Staffordshire firefighters and fire engines 'paying off'

Changes including reducing the number of firefighters and fire engines available across Stafford over the past four years have 'paid off', according to the county's chief officer.

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More than 40 firefighter posts were axed from stations in Staffordshire as part of countywide cuts to save the fire authority £1.1m last year, while the number of engines available to the force was also cut to save money.

However, Peter Dartford, chief fire officer at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, pointed to statistics indicating that demand for the service had reduced by a third over the past six years as proof of the authority's improvements following a switch to a more preventive approach.

The service will have to make £1.43 million in cuts over the next year, rising to an overall reduction of £4.8 million by 2019/20 due to Government grant cuts.

Mr Dartford has said there will be 'less posts' within the force this time next year but moved to assure residents that their safety would not be compromised.

Speaking on the forces future and recent changes, he said: "We will continue to explore all available options in order to meet the Government's funding reductions.

"However, we will not cross the two red lines of firefighter and community safety.

"If we get to the point where we have exhausted all possible options and can not make any further cost savings, we will raise the issue with the Government.

"We will not compromise our crews or our residents just to meet a nationally-set budget.

"In the past four years, the service has saved £6 million through efficiencies, innovations and collaboration with partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

"These changes have paid off, both in terms of the safety of our communities and in terms of financial savings, with operational demand de-creasing by 33 per cent during the past six years.

"Much of our success in achieving these results has been made possible by our 'prevention is far better than cure' approach."

It is also hoped within the force that an increased share of business rates will generate £800,000 a year to reduce the amount of savings needed this year, alongside £425,000 which could be brought in via an increased share of council tax payments across the borough.

Despite Mr Dartford's admission that roles will be lost and that the challenges ahead for the force 'will only get more difficult' over the coming years, he believes the decrease in demand is proof that a switch to focusing on preventing fires is working.

He said: "We stand by our approach that prevention is far better and far cheaper than cure and strongly believe that it is only right to continue to explore all options in order to provide the best quality service to our residents at the best possible price.

"Our emergency response needs to be proportionate to the incident that we are attending."

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