Tomorrow is .................. ????

A. Another Day 

B  Test It Tuesday   

Well yes if you read our blog about Test It Tuesday  last week you will already know the answer  but  if you haven't  you can read it by  clicking this link . We have also told you about Fireplan Fridays  and the brilliant work of Watford Red Watch  which can be accessed here.  

But today is Monday - so we  have decided to rename it

 "Moan About it Monday" 

because we at FCCL are today  exceedingly grumpy, due in part to having a day job that today was spent staring at spreadsheets of various complexities;  but also due to the news that we have learnt that has annoyed us somewhat.   Ok annoyed us A LOT. 

As we have said many times before what is posted on the WYFRS incident logs and in other documents  and what actually happens in real life  are two completely  different things. And nothing demonstrates this better than  

Keighley 

In early 2013 in complete disregard of the community's wishes and firefighters common sense Keighley lost its second pump because Simon Pilling and Co decided it was no longer deemed necessary.  

So Keighley is now a one pump station. 

Which to us and many others seems rather strange as Keighley has three distinct areas of Risk 

Keighley Central  - Very High 

Keighley  East  - High 

Keighley West  - Very Low 

But as you can see from the photo below - the calculation of risk by ward 

is not worth the paper it is printed on 

We have referenced a nearby road Nashville Terrace for ease of viewing with a bold red line 

So you can make up your own mind about the difference between very high and very low risk areas  within Keighley. Ward,  FIRE is no respecter of boundaries. Statistics can prove and disprove a thousand things but  pictures like those above  are sometimes much better than words!  

But just to put it in perspective lets look at some figures too 

( the ones WYFRS dont want you, or more likely would have preferred FCCL NOT to see) 

Here are some figures we came across which start from Feb   

Total incidents on Keighley's station ground 145 of which 

Keighley ( pump 4601) attended 138 

Bingley have turned out 78 times in that same period of 

which 35 have been in their own area BUT 34 have been in 

to Keighley station area

Bingley have also turned out  7 times  to Shipley station 

ground (which of course is closing completely) 

Bingley have also turned out twice in other areas so if we 

add these out of area incidents  that Bingley are doing to the 

time they are spending in Keighley fitting smoke alarms  (we 

assume to try and get the very high risk areas reduced ) and 

the time they are off the run water rescue training......... it 

just leaves 

TWO BIG QUESTIONS 

How often do the public of Bingley have a fire engine 

actually  available in Bingley? 

If Keighley is obviously  under resourced, why remove 

the 2nd Pump ? 

I am no fire expert, (but i have friends who are) 

 but from even my limited experience 

what happens if there is a job that requires 3 pumps or 

more in Keighley?  Would for example control ask for a 

pump to be released from the incident because they are 

short of cover in the Aire Valley  - which means to even my 

common sense  WYFRS should swallow their pride 

(even if it  means an acceptable period of choking)

AND ADMIT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE REMOVED 

THE SECOND PUMP FROM KEIGHLEY 

To repeat the words of a very dear friend to FCCL 

"Is this the progress they had hoped for?"