Articles and Speeches

Call to Save Windsor Fire Station
16-Jun-06, Windsor Express Article.

You may be alarmed to learn that there is a proposal from the Berkshire Fire Service to close our Fire Station in Windsor.

So I met with the Assistant Chief Fire Officer several weeks ago to investigate. Whilst many of the fire engines that attend Windsor come from Slough, the Windsor Fire Station has served us well over the years.

Counter-intuitively they are proposing the closure in order to meet national targets more effectively.

National best practice targets mean that a fire crew should be able to reach any property within eight minutes.

Whilst the new plans may still mean that Windsor properties can be reached within the eight minute target, it is my understanding that thousands of properties across the region may not be reached as quickly as they are today.

However, many more thousands of properties across the Berkshire region will be reached more quickly - but this is scant comfort to those whose response time will increase.

Judging from my postbag and the views I’ve heard on the doorstep, the Fire Authority will have a difficult task in juggling the needs of all the people they serve.

One thing is certain, residents are strongly opposed to our fire station closure and I will continue to lobby vigorously on their behalf.

Let’s save our fire station!