The consultation on changes to the fire service runs until 22 September 2019.
Under the new proposals, the Service would seek to move underused resources from where the risk is low and invest more into work to reach the most vulnerable members of society and help keep them safe.
This includes proposed closures of a number of fire stations where risk and activity is low and the removal of fire engines that are underused.
We would look to reinvest some of the financial savings into prevention work in the community.
There are several reasons why change is needed. Lifestyles and geographical profiles of both Devon and Somerset have changed dramatically since many of our fire stations were built.
Supported by the prevention work that has been carried out locally and nationally and by the Service, the number of fires attended by crews has fallen by a third in the last 10 years.
We are also the largest employer of on call firefighters in the country. This provides challenges to recruitment and availability of fire engines within some areas meaning that some communities are better served by nearby stations where availability of firefighters and fire engines are more guaranteed.
We appreciate that any suggestion of removing stations or fire engines can be unsettling for residents and we want to ensure that residents feel informed and supported as a community.
We will be holding public drop-in exhibitions in the localities that are affected by the proposals and other locations across Devon and Somerset throughout July and August. This is so that we can talk with local residents and explain the changes and reasons for change as part of the consultation process. Find out more here;
http://dsfire.gov.uk/SaferTogether/ServiceDeliveryConsultation//TakePartInTheConsultation.cfm?siteCategoryId=18&T1ID=211&T2ID=460