Deep cuts in Fire and Rescue Service confirmed

The Island's fire chief has confirmed a package of cutbacks which will see job losses and a major scaling-down of community work. 

Kevin Groom says the measures will help balance the books - and  maintain core services at current levels.

But he says it's a very fine balance - and the service has reached a critical point in reducing costs while still ensuring safety.

There's to be a reduction in the number of full-time and retained firefighters - through retirement and voluntary resignation - and a streamlining of the management operation. 

The community safety team will be broken-up and its members redeployed.

In future, there will be no turnout by fire crews to automatic fire alarm activations - the cost of responding to them in the past year put at £144,000, is described as unsustainable.

Mr Groom says the fire and rescue service has expanded in recent years to help deal with road accidents, snow storms and flooding and is committed to education and training programmes and enforcing fire safety legislation.

He says deep cuts to the service budget mean its partnership work with the voluntary sector, private enterprise and government departments will have to be scaled down - so the service can concentrate on its core functions.