Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) currently has its own Fire Control Centre in Shrewsbury that takes 999 calls. SFRS is now consulting on closing the control centre and merging its operations with either Hereford & Worcester fire control or West Mercia & Warwickshire police.
Closing our Fire Control Centre in Shrewsbury will be bad for jobs and bad for the county.
Why must jobs go from Shropshire? If we are short of money to run our own centre, why don’t we bid to run emergency services for other counties?
I am also worried about the loss of local knowledge. There is a belief these days that anywhere can be located through satnav and a postcode. That’s not the case in rural areas where postcodes cover vast areas and many farms and tiny hamlets are very hard to find.
The consultation closes on 31 July.
Update 9 October 2014
Good news as it is announced that the fire control centre will stay in Shropshire. There will now be a review to decide its future location.