Residents vow to fight on for future of Sturry fire station
VILLAGERS angry their fire station is to be closed presented a funeral wreath to fire chiefs who made the decision.
Campaigners led by Sturry councillor Heather Taylor travelled to Kent Fire and Rescue's headquarters in Maidstone to hear bosses rubber-stamp the closure.
When it was announced, Cllr Taylor presented the flowers to chief executive Ann Millington with the message "RIP Sturry fire brigade, from the Sturry community."
She vowed to continue the battle and is now working with people from other areas losing their fire stations to launch a judicial review.
Cllr Taylor said: "In our heart of hearts, we knew it was going to close. But by taking away this vital service for the community, they're playing with people's lives.
"If there's a big fire elsewhere in Canterbury, we won't be given priority. If there is a fire on the other side of the railway crossing, we will have to wait for crews to come from Margate or Whitstable.
"I've lived in Sturry all my life. I'm sentimental about it. They're taking everything away from our rural community."
Her concerns were shared by the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), which said the "savage" cuts could delay response times by four and a half minutes.
Kent's FBU Secretary Mark Simmons said: "This is very concerning as fires spread very quickly. The fire service knows that seconds count, and any increase to response times would have an impact.
"Fighting fires is dangerous in any circumstances, but tackling a fire that has been left longer to develop creates added risks to firefighters as well as increasing the possibility of fatalities or serious casualties."
The decision was announced last Wednesday, February 15, and Bryan Cope, Chairman of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority, said savings had to be made.
He said: "The safety of the public and our firefighters is always our top priority. However all of the evidence shows that we have eight more fire engines than we need, even to deal with a major emergency.
"Like everyone else in the public sector, we have to make significant savings. Today's decisions will give Kent and Medway a fire service ready to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century."
Comments
by hortjudge
Monday, February 27 2012, 7:02PM
“Stop Panicking, I am an ex fire-fighter, does not matter how big a fire is other areas are never left without cover as appliances move into empty stations on standby. Heather Taylor is wasting her time there are villages even further from Canterbury than Sturry. The Fire next door to fire station, ask yourself, why is it that they never attended?, that's because it has not moved for months as they only have 2 or three firefighters left, so sturry has not been covered by Sturry Fire Station which proves the point, Sturry Fire Station is not needed, Canterbury always beat sturry to a job on their own patch if not they were always just behind. Sturry was used as a third pump to Canterbury as there had to be a third pump in Canterbury within 10 minutes, as the risks have changed a third pump is no longer needed within the 10 minutes. If the fire brigade union was that concerned they would threaten action so their comments are just a formality. There is need for change the service cannot run the same as fifty years ago; we can't be stuck in the past.
So Heather Taylor stop frightening people and stop trying to look as if you are doing something, why don't you make sure that every house in your area has a smoke alarm it's these little things that save lives!!!”