Today, I visited Corby Fire Station to meet with Fire Brigades Union (FBU) representatives and local firefighters, to talk about their concerns relating to plans to remove one of the existing fire appliances at the station and replace it with a Cobra Intervention Vehicle.
In light of this visit, and informed by what I heard, I will actively support the local campaign to protect the second fire appliance at Corby Fire Station. To my mind, introducing the new Cobra Intervention Vehicle, should not be at the expense of existing provision - if anything, it should be in addition, to provide a further option for our local firefighters, when responding to calls. I believe this is particularly pertinent, given that Corby is a rapidly expanding town and Corby Fire Station covers much of rural East Northamptonshire too.
We must ensure that our brave firefighters have all the tools they need, hence why I have signed the petition which reads:
"Petition to oppose the proposal (IRMP 2014/15) to remove the traditional fire appliance from Corby Fire Station and replace it with a Cobra Intervention Vehicle."
Going forward, I will make further appropriate representations and hope that a positive solution can be found in the near future.