Ridge Community Fire Station

Still time to save Ridge Fire Station

The Ridge Community Fire Station is under threat of down-grading, due to spending cuts. If you think this shouldn’t happen, there’s still time to do something, writes HOT’s Zelly Restorick.

A twelve week consultation has been taking place, due to end on 30 November. The proposal is to transfer all full-time fire fighters and one fire engine across to the Bohemia Road station. Currently, the Ridge Fire Station in Ore is a fully staffed, full-time station with crews ready to go 24 hours a day.

A campaign against the down-grading is being headed by East Hastings resident, Phil Bailey.

‘It is utter madness to want to reduce fire service cover in a growing town with many surrounding villages. We must send a clear message to authority members that cuts cost lives.’

According to Mark Brown of the East Sussex Fire Brigade Union, the cut backs will have a potential impact on almost 11,500 properties in Hastings & Rother.

‘Residents will have to wait much longer or a fire engine to arrive. We fear this will lead to more serious fires and a greater risk of people not being rescued in time.’

Sarah Owen, PPC for Hastings and Rye, who worked with the London Fire Brigade, supports the campaign.

‘Any savings that need to be made should not come from front line emergency services and there should be no loss of service from the Ridge that will impact on the fire cover for people living around that part of town and in our villages.

‘The firefighters at the Ridge and Bohemia Road fire stations are not only needed to provide protection, they carry out effective fire safety work within the community and any loss of services in Hastings will affect this as well as our overall resilience.’

Ore ward councillor, Michael Wincott, is fiercely opposed to any downgrade or closure.

‘This is deeply worrying news. The safety of residents must take precedence over these quick-fix solutions to plug a hole in a budget. Even if the town retains all fire appliances and they are all located at Bohemia Road – the extra time taken to get to our area means we are all being put at risk. It doesn’t taken long for fire to spead and every minute counts.’

What do you think? Unwise spending cut or necessary?

You can still sign the online petition by visiting http://bit.ly/ridgepetition.

Also : ‘Save The Ridge Fire Station’ on Facebook & Twitter.

Also in: Campaigns