Express & Star Comment: Worries of fire service are serious
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster many people will be concerned about warnings by fire chiefs that the service is at 'tipping point'.
By their very nature, the types of industry and businesses we have in the West Midlands will always bring a risk of fire.
Just this weekend we saw the huge blaze that ripped through a recycling centre in Bloxwich.
And, of course, their job is not all about putting out flames.
Firefighters are also part of a rescue service.
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As much of their job is about cutting people out of cars from serious crashes, as it is trying to extinguish fires.
With fewer firefighters the service can only do less.
Anyone who claims cuts in personnel can ever lead to more being achieved is plainly not telling the truth.
But that doesn't give West Midlands Fire Service a free pass.
Every organisation, especially in the public sector, needs to find imaginative and inventive ways of saving money and being as efficient as possible.
That could be removing perks for senior staff members such as expensive cars.
It could be as simple as cutting the hospitality budget.
Or it could be a restructure of departments and a review of how the administration side of the organisation runs.
We have already seen the West Midlands and Staffordshire fire services merge their control rooms.
But could it go further?
Could all 999 services share HR and payroll staff across the region?
Certainly Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis thinks there is more to do in this area.
MPs, the Government, and the public need to take the concerns of fire chiefs seriously.
But they also have to be cautious.
Police chiefs have been airing their concerns over their own budgets in recent months, particularly after the terror attacks and the General Election.
All these views must be listened to and analysed.
A cynic may think that some leaders in our public services are trying to exploit Theresa May and the Government's frail position.
But we must remember that there is no magic money pot the Government can turn to.
The Prime Minister must be strong and make a judgment on the facts about whether current funding is adequate to keep us safe or not.
