I have been a firefighter for almost 29 years and I could retire in just over a year.

The trouble is I still care passionately about the job I do, protecting the public and my community. I didn't join for the pay, which was just as well. Until five years ago it's been a job with its ups and downs. We've had to fight cuts occasionally.

However, since the pay dispute in 2001-02 we, and indirectly the public, are being punished for us daring to ask for a fair pay rise. Ever since then the Government has wanted its money back. "Modernisation" is the key word. Alas, modernisation is just another word for cuts and since our dispute came to an end we have had to fight cuts every year. In that time we have seen the aerial/high-cover in the city halved. We have seen the number of fire engines being dispatched to automatic fire alarms halved, management now presume an automatic fire alarm is a false alarm before dispatching us. This policy encompasses the major hospitals and all the hotels in the city and indeed the county.

Now the time has come to look at the way we work. The variable crewing system, if adopted, will see one fire engine taken out of the city and one from Hastings during certain night-time hours (The Argus, November 27). This, despite assurances from a senior officer in your article, could have a devastating effect not just in the city and Hastings area but further afield. If, as on many occasions, all fire engines in the city are attending calls at the same time then with one less engine to call on it will mean bringing engines in from Lewes, Barcombe or Newhaven to attend calls. This then affects fire cover in those towns and villages, as well as taking a lot longer to get to the incident.

The annualised hours system is a most un-family friendly shift system.

At a time when the service is actively seeking to recruit more women, it will lead to serious child care problems.

The shift system we work now has worked and served the public well for decades. The public must be told that these proposals are financedriven cuts and will not improve services. The public rely on us to be there when they need us.

For your sake and the safety of your firefighters please support us.

We do this job because we care. It is not a business. It's a service and should be kept that way.

  • MT Powell, Woodland Close, Peacehaven