Juan Mourep
Vital 1st Team Regular
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/09/fire-stations-close_n_4567663.html
The devastating impact of the fire station cuts, enforced by London mayor Boris Johnson, was visible in the tears that ran down the cheeks of some of the capital's toughest men, on their last shifts in their stations.
Fire fighters embraced each other, squeezing hands and shoulders outside Clerkenwell and Westminster Fire stations on Thursday.
Westminster station, which was opened in 1906, is closing along with nine others in the capital as part of a £29m cost cutting plan which involves the loss of 550 firefighters jobs and 14 fire engines.
None of the fire stations have yet been sold, but campaigners believe they are set to be converted into luxury flats.
James Cleverly, chairman of the capital's fire authority, said in a statement: "Londoners will continue to receive one of the fastest emergency response times in the world from the London Fire Brigade.
"If you dial 999 and need a fire engine, we still aim to have one with you within six minutes and a second, if needed, within eight.
"The brigade is faced with significant budget cuts which mean that changes to the service are inevitable and we are able to make those changes without compulsory redundancies.
I have yet to see a story on massive job losses in the civil service, a streamlining of all the paper shufflers, why is it the public services that have to suffer, why not the parliamentary services? Why shouldn't they cut down on the amount of slaves they have? Cheaper rent boys and prostitutes? Expenses that cover a lunch from Greggs and not the Ivy.
The devastating impact of the fire station cuts, enforced by London mayor Boris Johnson, was visible in the tears that ran down the cheeks of some of the capital's toughest men, on their last shifts in their stations.
Fire fighters embraced each other, squeezing hands and shoulders outside Clerkenwell and Westminster Fire stations on Thursday.
Westminster station, which was opened in 1906, is closing along with nine others in the capital as part of a £29m cost cutting plan which involves the loss of 550 firefighters jobs and 14 fire engines.
None of the fire stations have yet been sold, but campaigners believe they are set to be converted into luxury flats.
James Cleverly, chairman of the capital's fire authority, said in a statement: "Londoners will continue to receive one of the fastest emergency response times in the world from the London Fire Brigade.
"If you dial 999 and need a fire engine, we still aim to have one with you within six minutes and a second, if needed, within eight.
"The brigade is faced with significant budget cuts which mean that changes to the service are inevitable and we are able to make those changes without compulsory redundancies.
I have yet to see a story on massive job losses in the civil service, a streamlining of all the paper shufflers, why is it the public services that have to suffer, why not the parliamentary services? Why shouldn't they cut down on the amount of slaves they have? Cheaper rent boys and prostitutes? Expenses that cover a lunch from Greggs and not the Ivy.