How many more reports about fires breaking out in homes and businesses has The Argus got to publish before the public begins to realise how under-equipped our Fire and Rescue Services have become?

How many more fire-related articles will people have to read about before they start to put pressure on their politicians to adequately fund these services, instead of allowing them to cut back the number of appliances and firefighters?

The latest case reported by this paper was a roof fire in Pagham where, as is now unfortunately the norm, fire engines had to be called upon from all over the place.

Bognor Fire Station was only a mile or so away from the fire but, only having two pumps, appliances had to be called upon from Chichester, six miles away, Littlehampton, ten miles away, Selsey, 11 miles away and one from Worthing 21 miles away.

As, between them these five fire stations only had ten pumps that meant that half of them were dealing with this one fire and apparently the aerial ladder platform had to travel the 16 miles from Havant in Hampshire.

Surely if these machines hadn’t had to travel a total of 55 miles to get to Pagham, the damage wouldn’t have been as bad as it was and that thought must also apply to all the other similar fire-related situations that The Argus has reported on.

Will things change? Will the money be made available to buy more fire engines and pay for firefighters?

The answer to those two questions is in the hands of the readers of this paper and millions of other people; if they don’t demand it of their politicians then it won’t happen and it could be their premises that will be the next ones to burn to the ground while they are waiting for fire engines to turn up from here, there and everywhere. 

Eric Waters

Lancing