Fire pledge will help us stay safe

GREATER Manchester Fire Authority has confirmed its lowest ever council tax increase of 2.5 per cent.

It means the average household will pay £1 a week in 2010 for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Fire Authority chairman, Councillor James Pearson, said: “The current global financial crisis is having a major impact on the provision of public services.

“The Fire and Rescue Service is not identified as a special case, so we will need, more than ever, to continue to change and adapt as all public services.”

Vice-chairman, Councillor Paul Shannon, added: “Balancing our prevention, protection and emergency response work is under constant review, and we believe that these proposals will allow the service to continue to make Greater Manchester a safer place for all.”

Fire chiefs say the authority has undergone significant change to improve its efficiency and effectiveness, which have helped it prepare for the harsher financial climate.

Aims and achievements include:

::To get to a house fire within seven minutes — current figures show they make it in less than five.

::To get to someone trapped in their car after an accident within eight minutes — they currently get there within six.

::Within nine minutes the service pledges to get at least eight fully trained firefighters helping you and your family.

::Last year, firefighters visited more than 62,000 homes giving fire safety advice and fitting life saving smoke alarms and educated nearly 23,000 young people in how to stay safe.

Fire chiefs have also pledged to improve the operational service to homes and businesses and the safety of firefighters by investing in the best equipment and training.

Last year, it ordered 22 new fire engines, new and improved training facilities and new state-of-the- art fire helmets.

This year it will buy new breathing apparatus sets and two new fire stations in Bury and Rochdale.