FIRE chiefs in West Yorkshire fear they will lose well over £1m in Government funding.
Now they are encouraging MPs across the county to stand up and fight for them in the House of Commons.
A Government consultation paper on the future of fire funding threatens to strip away almost £30m in grant aid from the big seven metropolitan brigades – including West Yorkshire which would lose up to £1.3m.
In a joint letter to the county’s 23 MPs, Clr Philip Booth, chairman of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, and its Chief Fire Officer, Phil Toase, argue that the metropolitan brigades represent the ‘heart and soul’ of the fire service by serving nearly 40% of the population.
They deal with 48% of fire deaths and 46% of all accidental house fires.
The consultation ends today and Clr Booth said: “We serve the most vulnerable and deprived inner city communities who are patently at greatest risk from fire.
“Our specialist skills and knowledge also provide the backbone for national resilience against a host of major threats.
“Ironically, we have also proved to be the best performers in terms of delivering value for money.
“Over 60% of all fire service efficiencies have been led by the metropolitan authorities and our fire prevention work is saving some £65m a year.’’
