A union has called on Cumbria’s crime commissioner to step back from his plans to take over the running of the county’s fire service.
The Fire Brigades Union said the proposal could ‘eventually’ lead to station closures.
Crime commissioner Peter McCall has published a business case to move Cumbria Fire and Rescue under his control following the reorganisation of local government.
The shake-up will see the six district authorities and county council abolished in 2023 and replaced with two councils.
Currently, the fire service is under the county council’s control and Mr McCall said that he believed joint governance was the most cost effective option after the reorganisation.
Despite Mr McCall pledging that the organisations and their budgets would remain separate, the Fire Brigades Union said it thought it would result in budget cuts and eventually the closure of three stations.
Local union officials said they believed Mr McCall was only pushing forward with the plan to grow his profile.
It said Frizington, Arnside and Staveley stations were previously threatened with closure before being saved and said they could be at risk again.
Fire Brigades Union North West regional secretary Ed Burrows said: “The people of Cumbria could end up suffering, with three fire stations closing, all because Peter
McCall wants to advance his political career.
“The only way the future of these three fire stations can be guaranteed is if Peter McCall steps back on his plan, and we’re calling on him to do this today.”
The union added that it believed the planned changes would be undemocratic. Currently, Cumbria Fire and Rescue management is led by an elected portfolio holder, directly accountable to the public.
A commissioner would only be answerable only to a scrutiny panel.
The union added that it believed the management of the fire service needed to be separate from police management, because the services are so different.
Mr McCall said last week: “I want to assure the public that, if this business case is successful and approved by the Home Secretary, that all operational responsibilities remain with the chief fire officer and that the two organisations will remain separate as will their budgets.
“The governance responsibility is the only area of business that will be transferred to my office.
“This business case is all about setting the scene and, out of the options available, identifying which provides the best outcome for the services and public – there are still many months of work ahead of us.”
Mr McCall is asking people to read the business case and share their views.
To read the business case, visit https://cumbria-pcc.gov.uk/firegovernance/ and to share your views, go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/firegovernanceconsultation
