Fire union complains over Cumbria police commissioner plan

The Fire Brigades Union opposes a plan for Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner to run the county's fire service

The Fire Brigades Union has made an official complaint over a police and crime commissioner's plan to take control of the local service.

The union said Cumbria's police and crime commissioner (PCC) Peter McCall had "refused to respond" to a letter expressing their concerns.

Mr McCall is proposing to run Cumbria Fire Service when Cumbria County Council ceases to exist in April 2023.

He said he would respond when the Home Secretary made a decision.

Following a consultation, 54% of respondents said they would prefer the service to become a Combined Fire and Rescue Authority (CFRA) when its governance by the council ends, with 46% wanting Mr McCall to oversee it as a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC).

The union has called Mr McCall's proposal "disastrous" with the risk of three fire stations closing and loss of 18 jobs, but the PCC called their objections "politically motivated".

Peter McCall proposes taking the fire service on under his remit

Now the union has made a formal complaint to the council's monitoring officer saying Mr McCall "refused to respond to a letter from the local Fire Brigades Union on his beleaguered and controversial attempt to take over the fire and rescue service".

The union said its North West regional secretary Ed Burrows wrote to Mr McCall "asking him to drop the plan" but in a reply was told: "I can confirm that the Commissioner has seen your letter and will not be responding".

The union said it was complaining on the grounds the PCC had "not acted with honesty, integrity, accountability, openness, and having respect for others" as required by the office's code of conduct.

Les Skarratts, Fire Brigades Union executive council member for the North West, said: "Cumbria deserves better than this.

"It also deserves to have its fire and rescue service outside the Police and Crime Commissioner structure.

"Amongst other things this will likely protect the fire and rescue service budget, helping avoid the very real threat of three fire station closures McCall's plan could bring."

Mr McCall said: "The decision about the potential transfer of fire governance to the PCC is with the Home Secretary.

"As soon as we have received the decision from the Home Secretary we will be responding.

"I have said many times previously that I have no intention of playing party politics with the FBU or indeed anyone else."