FRIZINGTON firefighters say public safety is more important than their jobs and saving money.

An unnamed firefighter said he would not want his family and friends’ lives put at risk by the closure.

He said a possible 15-minute delay to response times, the loss of Cleator Moor’s best available fire engine and the knock-on effect in the event of a major incident at Sellafield are not worth it for the amount of money saved.

Cumbria County Council has now confirmed that the station’s closure could save £75,000 per year, based on staffing and revenue costs associated with the station and equipment. There would also be some additional savings on utilities and rates.

But, Frizington’s retained firefighters said they were told by fire chiefs that they could be offered redeployment if the station closes.

“Our jobs aren’t the issue here,” said an anonymous Frizington firefighter. “All 12 of us would walk away tomorrow as long as we knew that we would be replaced by a bunch of lads who knew what they were doing.

“We do get paid but it’s not a lot for the hassle and commitment. We’ve all got other jobs and we can get by without it. But, we’ve got friends and family here.

“I’ve got a young daughter and if, god forbid, there is a fire in my house, I wouldn’t want to be thinking that Whitehaven and Egremont’s firefighters were tied up somewhere else.”

Steve Healey, assistant chief fire officer said: “Our current proposals are no reflection on the Frizington on-call crew, who we know do an excellent job.

“What the proposal does reflect is the comparatively low demand for the Frizington engine, the proximity of other nearby stations and the reduction in risk in the county – we have 50 per cent fewer fires than ten years ago and when fires do occur the impact is likely to be far less severe. Most property fires we go to now are generally small and often even out before our arrival.”

Have your say

AN OPEN day is being held in Frizington Library today (Thursday) giving you the chance to discuss the fire station’s future with senior managers. It will be the only chance for the public to meet the fire chiefs and the Frizington firefighters say they want as many people as possible to attend. It runs from 9am until 5pm.