On Saturday I met many of my constituents from The Ferry at the Fire Brigades' Union stall outside Sainsbury's Supermarket. Over 400 hundred folk recorded their opposition to the proposal to downgrade Balmossie Fire Station. Taken together with the signatures collected on Saturday 19 December at Campfield Square in Barnhill and Saturday 16 January in Brook Street Broughty Ferry, I think that's more than 1500 electors from The Ferry who have already completed letters of objection.While most constituents in The Ferry are clearly indicating their opposition to halving the fire service at Balmossie, this has implications for the other parts of Dundee. Withdrawing the full time night time fire crew taken together with withdrawing the day time 'retained' (on call) fire crew and their fire engine from Balmossie will mean there is one less fire and rescue crew and one less fire engine to respond to attend fires, road traffic accidents and floods in Dundee. In fact this will mean that there will be a reduction from eight to seven fire engines and crews stationed in Dundee.
On Monday evening, the Policy and Resources Committee of the Council will consider their response to the Tayside Fire and Rescue's consultation, 'Towards a Safer Tayside 2010/11'. It is this document that contains the ill conceived proposals about Balmossie Fire Station. I shall be bringing forward a motion that the Council's response to the consultation is to indicate their opposition to the downgrading of the fire and rescue services based at Balmossie. It is inconceivable that any City Councillor should support a reduction in this vital emergency service, especially when retaining it will not impose extra costs on council tax payers in Dundee.
