13 April 2009
Norwich City Councillors have backed calls from the Green Party to oppose Government plans to merge Norfolk ’s fire control service with those of five other counties. The proposals would see a joint control centre in Cambridgeshire covering the whole of the Eastern Region. The Green Party agrees with the Fire Brigades Union that the merger would result in a poorer service that could not make use of local knowledge. Green Councillor Adrian Holmes put forward a motion opposing the plans at a recent City Council meeting. Councillor Holmes said: “ Norfolk has one of the top ranked fire control services in the country. We must not allow this high level of service to be put at risk by this merger.”
Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Green Party General Election Candidate for Norwich South, said: “I hope the Government listens to the strong local calls to scrap this merger. Local knowledge is crucial in the provision of public services. Fire service control should not be regionalised. If the Government wants the experience of Norfolk ’s high performing service to be shared with other areas this can be done through mentoring. It should not be done through a merger that could undermine that high level of service and result in less advanced technology being used.”
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