No Smoke Without ..........

The Fire Service in Devon has not escaped the changes that have affected all major public services over the years. The service is now a separate Agency and has merged with Somerset to form the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Authority www.dsfire.gov.uk. At the invitation of the Chairman, Councillor Bernard Hughes OBE I was pleased to attend a lunch for Civic heads at the Service Headquarters, Clyst St. George, nr. Exeter to hear about the changes and opportunities facing the merged service and to view aspects of Fire Service operations, including the Rapid Rescue teams responding to international disasters such as the Haiti earthquakes. There is still a questionmark over whether the new Command Centre, to be based in Taunton to cover the whole of the South West Region, will have the local knowledge to respond to emergency calls and there is much still to be discussed to satisfy outstanding concerns, but we were all very impressed with the dedication and vision of management and staff to make the service work for the safety of the whole area.