AUDIO: To listen to full interview with Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Steve Swarbrick, click here

Public Urged To Have Their Say

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Swarbrick has invited local people to take part in a public consultation which has been launched by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, which is preparing for possible cuts in funding from central Government.

Budget reductions of up to £9 million may be announced over the coming weeks, and the Service’s consultation is seeking to get the public’s views on key issues about SYFR and the way we work.

Mr Swarbrick explained: “I think its clear when you listen to the national media and politicians that there are going to be some significant adjustments to the funding provided to the public sector, which we form part of.  We are playing our part in advance by looking at all the options that we have in front of us so that if the difficult decisions have to come in the future and we have to save money, we have a head start.  That’s why we have started off a consultation process with the public, our own staff and with the representative bodies including the Fire Brigades Union.”

Mr Swarbrick said the Service has already given some thought to changes which could be made to continue providing the high level of services people expect, but with less money. However, he stressed that no decisions have been made yet, and that the public’s views are important: “We have a number of options that we are starting to consider,” he said. “We have recently run trials with a different type of fire engine, designed to deal with small types of incidents, that gives us some opportunities to make ourselves more efficient in the future, in a way that improves the service that we deliver to the public.”

“We are taking this consultation process very seriously and we are interested genuinely in the views put forward.”

To take part in our public consultation before August 2^nd, click here.