Mike Tuffrey 

Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member and member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), commenting on today’s proposals by the Conservative members of LFEPA to advocate the privatisation of the Control Room handling London’s Fire Brigade’s 999 calls said:

“No fire service in Britain has a privatised Control Room to handle emergency calls.

“The Fire Brigade’s Control Room is vital to getting a speedy response to fires and emergencies. It needs highly professional and well-trained staff and there should be absolute certainty that it can handle to a high standard every call it receives.

“The Control Room is not a routine “call-centre” business where existing private companies can easily take on the role.

“Outsourcing might make sense for some routine services, but for this highly specific service it is a step too far.

“The bottom line is that this is a dangerous idea that should be stopped before it goes any further.”