The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is considering strike action after Boris Johnson revealed last month his plans to close 12 fire stations across London as part of budget cuts for 2013.
Earlier on the Mayor of London said that cuts on fire services would provide a cheaper service with the same level of quality for less money, stating that it would be a better deal for Londoners.
Robert Smith, 36, a FBU official said: “Firstly it won’t provide the same level of service, very simple: take away fire engines, take away personnel, it’s clear it’s not going to provide the service and untimely it’s not going to provide any cheaper service. It will be directed to pay any debts created by the bankers.
“We may strike, we don’t stand to lose nothing, no fire fighter is going to step back and say we accept, we accept you closing fire stations, we accept you removing fire engines, because ultimately no Londoner is going to say we accept our relatives, our friends that are injured or killed in a fire because we couldn’t be there quick enough, they won’t accept that.”
Clerkenwell’s central location is close to highly commuter orientated areas such as the City, King’s Cross and St. Pancras stations (including Eurostar services and deep Underground stations), and also a range of hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital, is crucial to protect London.
The station is specialised in deep underground rescues, terrorist response, decontamination, chemic-biological and nuclear attacks following preparations after the 7/7 bombings, which claimed a member’s life.
City Hall has also said that Clerkenwell now leads with less rescues and that’s a motive to reduce active stations in London.
Firefighter Smith said: “The reason why we deal with less fires now is because we educated the public; we’re going to the houses, to the elderly, the vulnerable; we put up smoke alarms and give advice about cooking and heating … We’ve being doing that for years and years and slowly it’s taking effect.
“You cut personnel and fire engines, you’re going to cut community fire security as well. Imagine if a fire happens near the Thames, and then another fire breaks on the north side of our borough… where would the fire engine come from? We don’t have the right number of fire engines, unfortunately we have the minimum number.”
The community has come together to save Clerkenwell (@saveclerkenwell).
Although not everybody shares the same opinion as Sasha Thomson, 57, local resident, said: “Personally it makes no difference to me; I won’t feel either safer or less safe if the station closes or not.
“If the government is closing this and other stations around the city I assume they know what they are doing, right?”
Inside London’s City Hall the London Assembly (LA) members are split over the issue.
Jennette Arnold, LA member for Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest, said: “I am deeply concerned at the effect these closures will have on community safety. Response times are crucial to saving lives and I am unconvinced by arguments that these cuts will not have an adverse effect on them. Local fire stations also play vital roles in their local communities, offering fire prevention advice, holding station open days, checking smoke alarms and carrying out fire safety audits in our schools and hospitals.”
Clerkenwell station is the oldest fire station in Europe still in service and has been used on a 24/7 basis for the past 140 years.