A new report warns that plans to privatise London Fire Brigade training and the fire control centre would compromise safety whilst imposing new high financial risks on the capital’s fire service. The European Services Strategy Unit, jointly commissioned by the FBU, GMB and UNISON, has released its report examining plans to privatise London’s Fire Service Training and Control Centre.
The report highlights the poor performance of previous Public Private Partnerships, finding that one in five (20%) of PPP strategic partnership contracts have either been terminated, reduced in scope, or suffered significant operational and/or financial problems. This is a higher rate than for PFI projects and imposes many more risks for the London Fire and Emergency Services.
Darren Johnson, Green Fire Authority member said “I don’t want to see pivotal London Fire Brigade services privatised as we have seen far too many privatisations that have been costly and ineffective. That is why I welcome these proposals that call on the Fire Brigade to work with staff and unions in designing improved in-house provision for training and fire control.”
The cross union stance has also been supported by Ken Livingstone and Former Fire Authority member Val Shawcross. They have called on Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson to drop plans to rush through the privatisation of the London Fire Brigade control centre.
Ken Livingstone said: “Under a Tory Mayor and his Tory fire supremo Conservative ideology is being put before the interests of ordinary Londoners. Londoners not shareholders must come first.
“London’s mayor should be protecting our emergency services not privatising them. I cannot think of a more unjustifiable, foolish or dangerous policy under this mayor than privatising the control centre of the fire brigade. It is a new low.
“My commitment to Londoners is that I will campaign flat out against this plan, and from the outset of my administration, if I am elected, there will be a fresh approach at the Fire Brigade – and Boris Johnson’s privatiser in chief, Brian Coleman, will be sacked as the chair of the fire authority.”
Controversial Fire Authority Chair, Brian Coleman has brought forward the time table for the outsourcing of both training and the control centre to ensure that they are pushed through before next year’s GLA elections. At a recent Fire Authority meeting when asked ‘are there any functions of LFEPA that you believe are inappropriate for take-over by private operators?’ Brian Coleman replied ‘No, in the right circumstances.’
It is the belief of all three unions that the rushed drive to push through these privatisations will put Londoner safety in jeopardy and increase long term costs.
Amongst the report’s recommendations are to retain in-house provision of training and immediately implement localised training arrangements and immediately amend the Fire Control procurement to withdraw the managed services option. The project to design, build, provide and maintain control and mobilising ICT services should proceed.
The three stage decision making process starts next week and culminates in next month’s Fire Authority meeting. Changes to the rules of how the fire authority is constituted after the last mayoral election mean the Conservative group have an overall majority which would enable them to push these controversial plans through unchecked.
