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10
Jun 2022
Councillors raise concern over Harrogate fire station cuts
Councillors have raised concerns over plans to cut the number of fire engines at Harrogate fire station.
North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, has suggested operating just one fire engine at night as opposed to the current two.
Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee discussed the proposals, which were unveiled as part of a consultation into changes at the fire service.
The station would continue to be resourced with two fire engines during the day but it would have just one appliance from 10pm to 9am, when fewer incidents usually occur.
The move would also see the station lose its tactical response vehicle, which would be moved to an on-call station elsewhere in the county, and a self-rostering staffing system introduced.
Cllr Robert Windass, who spoke at the constituency committee this morning.
Cllr Robert Windass, who is a former fire fighter, said he welcomed the removal of the tactical response unit which he described as a "total waste of time".
However, he raised concern over the reduction of crews on a night.
He said:
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The committee agreed to invite Ms Metcalfe and the chief fire officer to the next meeting to be quizzed by councillors.
Cllr Chris Aldred said the committee had to get it right before it responds to the consultation.
He said:
The changes are part of Ms Metcalfe’s Risk and Resource Model 2022-2025, which sets out how the fire service will deploy its people, equipment and resources.
Fire officials told a meeting last month that the proposals would help to save £1.5 million a year from 2025.
Jonathan Foster, interim chief fire officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said that the proposals were about investing in “protection and prevention”.
He said:
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