Episode 4

MACCA AND THE FIRE BRIGADE UNION FBU CONDEMN RELEASE OF DELEGATED DECISION REPORT ON ISLAND’S FIRE CONTROL BEING OUTSOURCED TO SURREY FIRE SERVICE Fire Brigades Union Officials have strongly condemned the release of the Delegated Decision Report, issued on Friday 15th April, which recommends the outsourcing of the answering of emergency fire calls to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service’s control room in Reigate. The decision would see Island council tax payers paying £216,000 for emergency 999 calls being answered by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service some 70 miles from the Island with the loss of vital local knowledge. The paper invites comments from Councillors over a ten day period; however, with two weekends and two Bank Holidays in this period there are effectively only four working days to comment on the dangerous proposal.