Save Blaina Fire Station: October 2013

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Every Breath you take, Every move you make

Huw says "No Risk", his Deputy disagrees and says there is risk

Time to give you a brief update on what is happening in our campaign to Save Blaina Fire Station from closure and my thoughts on the matter - for what they are worth.

Well those thoughts and the information on this site must be worth something, because the statistics continue to rise on our website, despite not publishing anything for a few days - that is new readers catching up on previous articles and learning the truth about the inaccurate and flawed Fire Service proposal.

To be honest, any sane and rational person reading the proposal, would think it was some kind of sick joke, instead of a serious piece of work.

Well the game is starting to get interesting.

Huw Jakeway, the Chief Fire Officer crept into Blaina to meet up with the Fire Crew at the station last Wednesday.

So how do I think the radio interview went?

God but I am hopeless at names - but a nice guy all the same

Well I guess this will be one of the last articles on this site for a while, as there is not much more I can do until after the Fire Authority have made their decision, other than to bring in the National Press, which I have no desire to do at this stage.

But before we talk about having the Daily Mail and The Sun stomping all over Blaina, let us talk about yesterday.

The place was really packed with different music media storage

First off, I arrived early at the studio's of BRFM Radio.

Friday 25th of October - here is what is happening

Can't argue with that

Now it is very important that we keep the pressure up, if we are to save Blaina Fire Station.

The people of Blaina and Nantyglo who have not yet filled in the Fire Service Survey, the volume and contents of which will make a pivotal point, when the Fire Authority come to make their decision as to whether to close our station and increase the risk to our property and lives or reject it, having looked at more accurate information provided from different sources.

Now if you have not already done so or have new points you would like to make and submit another online form, then follow this link and do it online. If your neighbours are elderly and without internet access, then invite them around for a cup of tea and help them fill it in on your machines. Don't even think about it, just do it.

So which will you take? The red pill or the blue pill? The choice is yours

So which do you choose?

No early morning article today because I have a dilemma and you will have to have seen the movie, The Matrix, to understand the nature of my dilemma and why it has taken me this long to produce this short piece.

For those of you who have not seen The Matrix trilogy of films, then you have missed out, but briefly the film starts with the main character Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, having to make a choice between embracing an unpleasant and painful truth, or to continue to remain ignorant as to the way our world is run and live as a slave - albeit a slave who thinks he is free.

The real Princes of The Bean Counters are Actuaries

If an actuary says there is greater risk there is greater risk

I did not realise how many times I had been around the block until I decided to tell you about a A call for Action Report that was launched by the Association of British Insurers at the House of Commons in 2010.

Reading the report reminded me of just how many insurance companies I had carried out work for as an IT Consultant. There was Sun Alliance, UK Provident and Eagle Star Vida in Portugal and I can tell you this, I met lots and lots of Actuaries.

Now the standing joke in the insurance business is that actuaries are accountants who found accountancy too exciting, if that is possible, and I can vouch for that, because on one project I had to share a company house with two actuaries for a few months, during which time I wrote an Early Deaths, Claims Analysis System for them, but boy do they know how to add up and calculate risk.

We do, we do

I have a new routine when starting my duties in our campaign to save Blaina Fire Station from closure.

Usually I just swill my face, make the strongest coffee imaginable, fire up an old sixties playlist of music and start to beat my laptop to death.

Well, just over a week ago, as a result of this article here, in which I wrote about Welsh Assembly Member Alun Davies's support in saving our Fire Station, I started listening to BRFM (Best Radio For Miles), which broadcasts to Blaenau Gwent from their studio in Brynmawr.

Blaina, Abertillery and Brynmawr Fire Stations unite to save a life

Do not let them close Our Fire Station

Last night at 22:30 the shout went out, that there was a fire in Princess Street, Abertillery. Standard operating procedure when informed that there is a life at risk, is for the Fire Service to commit three appliances.

In this case the stations were Abertillery, Blaina and Brynmawr.

Remember there are only five Fire Stations in the Blaenau Gwent area and so 60% of our manpower and resources were committed, leaving only Tredegar and Ebbw Vale available in case of another fire incident or road traffic collision.

Blaina Fire Crew in Action at Asdas, Brynmawr

Ty Curtis selling poppies for the Royal British Legion

Did that title grab your attention? It was meant to.

But on this occasion I am pleased to say that this time Blaina Fire Crew were not fighting to save someone's life, but rather their own jobs, and with those jobs the honour to continue to defend the property and people of Nantyglo and Blaina, who they have served so well in the past.

Before you look at the following images, please take the time to check out the top image, that is of Ty Curtis of the Royal British Legion who was already doing his bit for the community by selling poppies on a Sunday. Well done Ty Curtis, another good old Coed-Cae boy like myself.

Future Actions to be taken in our Campaign to Save Blaina Fire Station

Remember, this is only the first cut

Ok, the above video is the first draft of a much more professional video that we are working on behind the scenes that will document the events leading up-to the submission of the proposal to close down Blaina Fire Station and what we as a community are doing to prevent this planned closure that threatens the lives of all who live in the Nantyglo and Blaina area and the surrounds.

The second video will go through the proposal submitted by Huw Jakeway of the Fire Service and will show the inaccuracies in it and make numerous points that the Fire Service deliberately omitted from the proposal.

If you have any information or points that you want to make then leave them in the comments section, because quite honestly you are not making the most of that part of our website.

Know this, EVERYONE involved is reading this site now.

Please note that I incorrectly say 22,000 at the start of the video instead of 220,000 - this figure is corrected later.

Hat tip: To my English Friend who is checking my work from across the border.

Friday 18 October 2013

What is Corporate Manslaughter?

We will save this station

I have just been looking at some of the figures people have reported on how long it has taken them during time tests to drive from Ebbw Vale Fire Station to Brynmawr and onto Blaina and they seem to be at odds with what the Fire Service would have us believe.

Remember the time tests were taken on a clear day with clear roads and with good visibility which is not always the case.

Now I believe that if Blaina Fire station is closed down to save a few pennies and as a result of that closure a person loses their life because there was no cover from Blaina, then I believe after reading the law on Corporate Manslaughter, that there would be a very good case to charge the Fire Service (Huw Jakeway as the CFO) with Corporate Manslaughter - how this would affect the Fire Authority I have no idea.

These men have saved Wales over £7 million in the last few years

I really am honestly beginning to think that there should be an all political party investigation into just how the proposal to close Fire Stations in Blaenau Gwent was prepared and perhaps injunctions taken out against the Fire Authority from making a decision until that investigation is complete.

The document that has been presented to the South Wales Fire Authority has been revealed to contain numerous inaccuracies and only yesterday a Senior Fire Officer confirmed to me that the system data used to compile statistics contained "errors" and yet this information that many know to be incorrect was used in the production of the proposal.

Now before we move onto some information that I believe could only have been omitted from the proposal deliberately, given the impact the information would have on any sane and compassionate reader of the proposal, a bit first about the new race track for Ebbw Vale.

If that's your best, your best won't do

Sally and Steve - Only one of them is a real firefighter

In case you are wondering where the title for this article came from, the words are the lyrics from the song We're not gonna take it, which I put up on this site the other day.

OK, we have to move fast on this one. When a battle is over, win or lose, move on to the next and do not give your enemy a chance to regroup, breath or respond.

I arrived at Blaina Institute and entered the Library to find what seemed to be half of South Wales Fire Service there, including many of their senior officers and I wondered how much this little day out is costing the ratepayer from a Fire Service that says it wants to make savings. Come on lads, shape up, you're leaving your goal open.

And we are only now beginning to fight

Good Morning Nantyglo and Blaina.

It is the start of another day in our campaign to save Blaina Fire Station and I see that already Councillor Lisa Winnett is already active in reminding people that two officers from the Fire Service will be visiting Blaina Institute between the hours of 10:30am and 16:30pm today, to answer residents questions about their concerns.

Now obviously, these men are going to be pushing the agenda of their boss, the discredited Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway who submitted the proposal for the closure of our fire station to the South Wales Fire Authority, that is made up of 24 Councillors, who will have to make the decision to either accept the proposal and throw our fire fighters onto the dole and leave the people of Blaina without adequate Fire Cover or throw the proposal in the bin where it really deserves to be.

Left or Right. Live or Die.

When they go out in it, there is no guarantee they will return in it

I am sorry but I must write this article and so if you think you are not up to an article on how easy it is to die as a firefighter, then please read no further.

A simple choice, turn left or right. One way and you will save a life and you become a local hero, and the other way will see you plunge to your death and die in flames.

The following is not about the tragic deaths of Stephen Griffin and his colleague Kevin Lane, this story is about two men from the same station who had a choice to make. Left or right.

Answering "the shout", Blaina Fire Engine arrived first at the scene of the fire and were told that there was just one person inside and with smoke pouring from the building making visibility inside the property impossible, two of our men went in numbered as one and two.

Save OUR Fire Station

Well I thought we might as well know who has the safety of our children in their hands and so I thought I would find out just who sits on the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority of 2013.

So going to the head of the well, I went straight to this page on the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

There you can find out just what they are entitled to claim in expenses, what sort of food they can expect to be provided with and how much money they received for sitting on the Fire Authority.

If you want to find out who actually sits on the Authority, then go here but I have been given to understand it is not totally accurate but be honest, is anything really accurate that comes out of the Fire Service?

Do you remember me? I never forgot you.

Just a short article to let you know, that according to Councillor Lisa Winnett, the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are going to be ensconced in the Blaina Insitute between the hours of 10.30am and 4.30pm on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th October, during which time residents of Nantyglo and Blaina can voice their concerns over their master's plans to close our fire station down in order to save a few paltry pounds.

Now regardless of whether you have already filled in the survey or not (they will have forms available) it is important that if you can spare just 15 minutes, that you go to the Institute and you tell them in no uncertain terms about what you think about them endangering, not just our property but our lives.

This is all for you Huw - wear it with shame

So just why is it that the Chief Fire Officer for South Wales, Huw Jakeway and the leader of the 1,500 brave men, who man the 50 stations in South Wales are frightened to face and answer the questions of the people of Blaina? He said he would.

I was there when he said it.
The widow and daughter of one of the firefighters killed in 96 were present when he said it.
At least six borough and town councillors heard him say it.
Almost 100 residents of Blaina listened to him say it, when he visited Blaina Fire Station to talk to the fire crew he intends to betray.

Well the bad news for Huw Jakeway, was that Councillor Lisa Winnett also heard him say it, and so followed up with a letter to him attempting to arrange a time and venue for the people of Blaina to speak directly to Huw Jakeway, whose wages they help pay and voice their concerns.

A report on the public meeting at Salem Chapel

Salem by Night

I am not one of those people who try to find excuses for being late or tardy in their duty and I put my hand up to being late with this report on the public meeting that took place last night in Salem Chapel, Blaina to save our Fire Station.

But if blame is to be apportioned then I point the finger of responsibility directly at Nigel Meek and Mike Ruddock, because after I carried them home, one over each shoulder, after a quiet 78 pints in the Yew Tree, I was late getting to my bed and slept late.

So finally, here is my report.

Introducing the Fire Station at Blaina

Do not let them take this away from us

We all have different ideas about the best way to prevent the closure of Blaina Fire Station.

My way, is the in your face and bring it on way, with a mix of emotional appeals and hard facts to the readers and that style does not suit everyone, which is fair enough, we are all different.

Well now there is a new website called Fire Station at Blaina, that simply states the facts and allows people to make up their own minds by reading the full proposal to close our fire station and the counter arguments made by those who fight to keep it open.

Check it out, because that is where you will find the hard facts and information that all should read.

Show your support for our fire crew and be at Salem Chapel tonight at 7pm.

My personal response to CFO Huw Jakeway's interview in South Wales Argus

Give us Facts not Fiction Huw

The best laid plans of mice and men and all that stuff.

There I was writing an article on Welsh Rugby Legend and Blaina Boy, Mike Ruddock, when I saw that the Chief Fire Officer for South Wales, Huw Jakeway had given an exclusive interview to the Argus - you will have to wait for the link because I want to make a few points before you read it - and realised that Mike would have to wait, so I could get this higher priority article out to you.

Now I would not mind betting that there is NOT one single military officer or serious business manager who does not have a copy of The Art of War on his bookshelf, that was written over 2,000 years ago by one of the greatest, if not greatest military strategists the world has ever seen, a man named Sun Tzu.

Fortunately for us, it seems that Huw has never read it, or he would not be making the mistakes he is making and allowing Blaina, who up until now have been defending their position, go over onto the attack and totally destroy the arguments he is trying to use to close down the most effective station in Blaenau Gwent.

Blaina Firecrew. Ready, Aye, Ready

I have been told that less than 50% of the population of Nantyglo and Blaina either do not have internet access or do not read Facebook or websites like this one, so this is where you, who are reading this article come into the equation.

You MUST let everyone you know, about just how important tonight's public meeting at the chapel is.

If they say they know, then fine but remind them to be there, because you had better believe this, the public show of support that our firefighters receive tonight will be critical towards showing those that would close our fire station, that we as a community are not going to allow them to endanger our lives and property to save the paltry 67p per week, that it costs each of us to keep our station open.

You have already been told that the event was organised by Councillors Bob Pagett and Lisa Winnett and you also know that the fire station crew will also be present and answering questions about the work they do.

Blaina Fire Station in Action again - 1 person rescued

The inside of our fire engine

News coming in but details still a bit sketchy, but the essential facts are correct.

Blaina Firefighters were called out on "the shout" to Alexander Street in Blaina a short while ago and were the first engine on the scene where they rescued one person before the 2nd appliance arrived.

I have been given to understand that several people have been taken to hospital as a result of smoke inhalation but also understand this is more of a precautionary action rather than a needed one.

Seriously people, how can the Fire Service say that Blaina does not need its own station with events like this taking place on average of 3 to 4 times a week.

Interesting figures from Save Blaina Fire Station...

Tonight's main point - Are the residents of Nantyglo and Blaina worth just 62.97 pence per week, per head of population of Nantyglo and Blaina, in order to protect their lives and property?

£222.541 divided by 52 weeks divided by population of 7097 people

Living Legend and Local Hero Byron Hayward defends Blaina Fire Station

Byron Hayward - Welsh International and Local Hero

I think one of the happiest times in my life, was when I was serving on the committee of Blaina RFC, but that was before work took over my life and I had to leave the club behind.

Great days, great guys, great home games and fantastic times on away games and I still remember Barry Madden who was then Chairman of the club and the shop lifter in Penzance, Cornwall. But that's another story.

Good Luck getting through them lads

So how much would it cost to build a new school?

To be honest I do not have a clue but looking at some of the information posted on the excellent and really informative Save Blaina Firestation page on Facebook, I read a few facts, figures and news that got me wondering on several different levels about just that.

First off, was the information that the cost of cover for Blaina Fire Station with their 100% availability record is £222,451 per year which is considerably less than that of Ebbw Vale Fire Station who require £1,413,618 per year to run.

However, I do not want to turn this article into a "our availability performance is better than yours" type of story. Truth is, both stations provide a superb service and both deserve more money spent on them, as do all five fire stations in Blaenau Gwent, especially with the building of the new race track in the Ebbw Vale area.

Thank you for your support Nick Smith

Wow, this is going to be an interesting article to write and I shall have to walk a very tight wire to report the story accurately and fairly, because I really do want to stay away from politics in our fight to save Blaina Fire Station.

One of the things that has impressed me with the many town and borough Councillors I have come in contact with, is their united resolve not to let personal or political differences interfere with the fight to prevent Blaina Fire Station being closed, however there are one or two notable names in my opinion that could have done more and I really hope they up their game and I see them at tomorrows meeting in Salem Chapel.

I wonder if I will get a chance to speak?

Salem's Chapel. Salem's Chapel, Blaina.

Well before I tell you about what is happening at Salem Chapel tomorrow evening (you already know don't you, because you read the leaflet above this?), I thought I might tell you my first thoughts, when I saw where the venue for the Support Blaina Fire Station is to be held.

Well the first things to enter my mind were the Salem Witch Trials that took place between 1692 and 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts, North America, which is where the local populace decided to rid themselves of 20 women for reasons known only to their accusers by burning the unfortunate ladies alive by claiming they were witches.

We're not gonna take it

People say to each other "What kind of music do you like?" and of course people will give different answers and name different types of music.

Truth is, if you like music, then you will like all different kinds or at least some of a certain genre that you would not normally listen to.

Check out the video above. Not the kind of song most of you would associate with someone of my age, but I think it really rocks and is kind of relevant to the Battle For Blaina Fire Station.

Listen to the lyrics.

Normal service will be resumed in the morning, when I write about coming events planned by the people who are fighting to Save Our Fire Station for you.

By the way, you lot are a little bit shy about leaving comments on this site. Try it please, it is easy and encourages me to write more.

So what's it like up the Fire Station then?

Two of the best supporters a Fire Station could have

Ok, for those of you who are unable to get to Blaina Fire Station to have your car washed or a cup of tea and the opportunity to fill in the Fire Service Survey, that the Fire Authority will be taking into account when having to make the terrible choice to either Save Our Station or close it, then this article is for you.

You say you love this station then show it today

Right then. You say you love your village, you say you love your community, you say that you think that the crew of our Fire Station do a great job and that they are simply wonderful.

Well then today you have a chance to prove it and show you mean those things.

You must go and visit their Fire Station which is open to the public between 9.30am and 4pm and tell them you support them.

These are men of steel but even they need to know that the people they serve are truly behind them and covering their backs, because rest assured there are those in the Fire Service and politics who would stab them in it and leave us defenceless against fires.

What I would have asked Alun Davies AM on BRFM Radio

Alun Davies AM speaks out in defence of Blaina Fire Station

To be honest, I had never heard of BRFM Radio until just an hour or so ago, when I read on the Save Blaina Fire Station facebook page that Alun Davies, the Welsh Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent was to speak live on air at 3.15am from their studio, which is located in Brynmawr, so these guys really are local.

Well the am bit threw me for a minute, but I figured I might as well go to their online radio section and listen in, in case they meant 3.15pm, which they did, it was a simple typo and boy do I know about them.

So what did the Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent have to say?

I have not yet begun to fight!

Time really is tight, so let's kill two birds with one stone shall we?

We will do this by rolling up two or maybe even three news articles into one.

Because of the deliberately planned short window of opportunity we have been given by the Fire Service to organise resistance to their plan to close down Blaina Firestation, we have to move fast to produce and correlate the evidence we have, to prove conclusively to the Fire Authority that they have been fed incorrect information by the Fire Service and should reject the proposal.

Remember, it is the Fire Authority headed by Bargoed Councillor Tudor Davies, who will be making the decision on whether Blaina Fire Station remains open or not. More on Tudor to follow.

Why are we fighting to Save Our Fire Station?

A Blaina Mother and young children - fight for the right for Blaina Firestation to defend them

This morning I phoned Mrs Margaret Griffin, the widow of one of Blaina's Firefighters, Stephen Griffin who lost his life, as did his brother firefighter, Kevin Lane in the Zephaniah Way fire of 1996, where both men gave their lives trying to save a child's life.

It does not matter for now, why I wanted to speak to Margaret, because although she said yes, I was unfortunately unable to do so but will do later today if possible.

The reason I could not keep my appointment with Margaret is because that before going to see her, I decided to take a walk around Cwmcelyn Pond and to think through the events of the last week.

I wanted to think about the many people I have spoken to, listened to, and just what it was I wanted to say to Margaret and what it was I hoped to achieve by meeting her, at what must now be a very distressing time for her. Margaret will forgive me, because Margaret is that kind of woman, she cares and understands we are all busy now.

These may not be your actual car cleaners on Saturday

Well before we get to the really important bit, I regret to inform you that just like on ITV, you are going to have to sit through a couple of adverts before you get to the programme you want to watch, or in this case the important piece of information I want to pass onto you.

Blaina Fire Station are having an open day this coming Saturday, 12th of October between 9.30am until just after 5pm, where they will be doing car washes for charity.

They will also be giving members of the public a chance to ask actual firefighters about the job they do and the different types of services they provide in our community, from talking in schools to visiting homes and assisting and advising on fire safety.

It is time now to talk about men and manners

Not so good days

In a couple of paragraphs, I will be posting a youtube video that is only a few minutes long, that was taken from the 1941 film, How Green Was My Valley.

The film of course, was based on the 1939 Richard Llewellyn novel and tells the story of the Morgan family who are living and working in a South Wales mining valley during the 19th century and although some may find fault with it, I believe it to be one of the finest films ever made.

Now some of you might ask, what this film, about the hardships of a 19th century mining family has to do with our struggle to save Blaina Fire-station, but if you have some patience all will be revealed after you watch the clip below.

The World is Watching what happens to Blaina Fire Station

The public have not been addressed officially with any information or reassurance by any member of the Fire and Rescue Service.

This is not a fight for jobs it's a fight for our lives.

What if the Fire Services computer predictions are wrong and Blaina suffer more deaths due to the lack of available resources or the 1st in attendance was not quick enough?

Is the Fire Service willing to take the results from a computer over Local Service Personnel warning this will put lives in danger?

Are our lives worth the risk?

The proposal to close Blaina Fire Station will slow response times and increase the risk of death, injury and loss of property among the community.

Narrowly missed the home of the Phillips family

I do not know what to call last nights incident, when a car being driven at high speed on the A467, left the road, crashed through a fence and flew a large distance before destroying several other vehicles and narrowly missed smashing into a Blaina home containing young children.

Accident somehow does not seem to be the right word to describe it.

One thing I do know, is that it is a miracle no person was killed and that the entire street of South Griffin Terrace did not go up in flames.

The following was posted early this morning on Facebook by Matt Phillips, which gives more information on the incident, frightening as it was, it could have been much much worse.

Blaina Fire Station in Action

Amazing nobody killed

Images just in of a crash on the A467, when the driver of a Vauxhall car lost control whilst driving at high speed, crashed through a fence, flew a large distance through the air and landed in South Griffin Terrace in a mangled heap.

There were no reports of injuries and the Engine from Blaina Fire Station was on the scene within 6 minutes of the call being reported.

Someone was very lucky tonight

Now on this occasion, fortunately there was no loss of life but this is the same area of road where there was a fatal road traffic collision in 1989 but when Blaina responded to the call, they did not know what they would be facing when they arrived at the scene.

Nick Smith MP - Please fight for Blaina and be Our Champion

The following is a copy of a letter that was sent by local boy and MP for Blaenau Gwent, Nick Smith to Chief Fire Officer Huw jakeway.

You know Huw, that's the guy who submitted inaccurate information to the council at Ebbw Vale on Monday and tried to pass it off as fact in order to justify risking the lives of the people of Blaina and Nantyglo in order to save a few pounds a year.

The letter follows:-

Meet me Huw - One on one

I give you my word now, that I will do two things for the people of Blaina and surrounding areas who are fighting to save our Firestation and the jobs of the heroes who man it.

I will never lie to you and I will not stop fighting for you. May God strike me down dead should I do either.

Sometimes I may have to withhold information from you for reasons that might not be clear. But I swear that once able, I will release the information as soon as I consider it right to. I accept I may well make mistakes and will correct those mistakes if I can, as soon as you make me aware of them.

Yesterday, in Ebbw Vale, the Fire Service represented by the Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway, threw away an opportunity to call a halt to this madness on the part of the Fire Service.

How went the day?

So this is where we went

Well back now from the protest outside the civic centre in Ebbw Vale and I should imagine the meeting is winding up around about now.

There seemed little point in sticking around for a few hours to hear something we already know and we were well covered inside the meeting by the likes of Councillors Lisa Winnett and Councillor Bob Pagett, who I am sure will let us know what happened inside the meeting later today.

You are on your own Huw

Good morning Huw, looks as though it is going to be a good day for a protest. True, there is some mist on the two mountains that made the valley that Blaina sits between, but it will clear as it does every day. Normally I like to just stare through the window and watch that mist clear.

But not today Huw, not today.

Today, I have a lot of things on my mind. Plans to make, places to go, people to see. You know the kind of things I mean Huw, because you are going to play a major part in my day out. In fact you are responsible for a day out that I and many from Blaina do not want.

It must be difficult for you Huw. What are you going to do when you reach Ebbw Vale?

What would be the real cost of closing Blaina Fire Station?

We will not let them take this Station from us Margaret

Now I believe I have found the real reason why Blaina Fire Station has been selected for closure and it has nothing to do with saving a few pounds but rather making millions of pounds for the friends of politicians who have laid covetous eyes on organisations like the NHS and Fire Service, that they could make big money from, if were they privatised.

Well if those are the plans, then we will know about them in the fullness of time but for now we will just concentrate on our own part of the battle field that is Blaina.

Do not let them take away our engine and paint our name out of existence

Ok, there are a few other places I should have added to that title but you are only allowed so many characters and you will get the point from the article that is to follow.

There is a demonstration tomorrow outside Ebbw Vale Civic Centre organised by the people of Blaina, who are going to be protesting about the planned closure of one of the most efficient (if not the most efficient) fire stations in Blaenau Gwent.

Now this attempt by the South Wales Fire Service is being pushed by Chief Fire Officer Huw Jakeway, who I believe that I have information on, that leads me to question his commitment to the future of the Fire Service in Wales and I am prepared to go to court over this if needed.

Yes it is good to make savings but you make those savings at the back end and not the front end.

So how did Huw Jakeway spend Friday Morning?

Huw's Twitter account header - I bet the retained fire-fighters wish they had time for golf

Once I decided that it was the right thing to do by supporting the fight to save Blaina Fire Station from the bean counters who want to close down the most efficient fire station (no offence to the other stations) in Blaenau Gwent, it was fairly obvious that I would start to take an interest in the Chief Fire Officer of South Wales, Huw Jakeway, who is putting forward the bean counters flawed proposals to Blaenau Gwent council on Monday.

Because I believe that if you are going into a battle, then you really do want to know everything there is to know about your enemy and you will be surprised at just how much I have discovered about the poser Huw Jakeway.

Do not fear, you will not have to wait long to discover what that information is, but let us see what happens Monday first shall we.

The name on the Engine says Blaina - do not let them steal it from us

It is just as well that I tend to be a private kind of person who does not need loads of friends, as I suspect that this article is not going to be making me any new fans anytime soon.

In fact I fully expect professional politicians, Councillors, the Fire Brigade Union and the Fire Service to condemn me for what I am about to write next and accuse me of being alarmist - well I will let you be the judge of that.

Now this will be a long article but I urge you to take the time to read it in full and think about it, because as you can see from the title, it concerns a very serious subject that could affect the lives of those you care about - it concerns property also but that is only secondary for the purpose of this article.

Striking a pose does not work for Blaina Huw, now man up and admit you are wrong

With time running out in our campaign to save Blaina Fire Station, I was trying to prioritise in my mind, the articles that needed to be written before the Fire Service CFO, Huw Jakeway meets with the council in Ebbw Vale on Monday and those articles that would need to be written after the meeting should the Fire Service proposal not be rejected.

I then thought about how Huw Jakeway could extricate the Fire Service and himself from a battle that they cannot win, without appearing to do a rapid U-Turn and without too much egg on their faces, and of course the solution is so easy and the one I would use were I in Huw's shoes.

Huw Jakeway is fully aware that the proposal that he was armed with by unknown bean counters is badly flawed and full of inaccuracies. These inaccuracies have been pointed out to him in correspondence sent to him by the likes of Councillor Lisa Winnett and the solution to his problems is so simple.

Will Blaina get a new Fire Station?

Lily and her friends made this. Are we going to let them down? NO

The growth rate for this site is phenomenal and you can take that from someone who worked in the IT industry for many years before his retirement through ill health.

The numbers of visitors to the Save Blaina Fire Station site, both local to Blaina and now from the rest of the UK and even America is incredible, which goes to show the amount of support that the people of Blaina and Nantyglo have for their campaign to save their (Our) Fire Station that protects not only their lives and the lives of their children, but also their property.

Supporters of Blaina Fire Station - Well done Men

Well if I would not want to be in anyone's shoes at Monday's meeting concerning the attempt to close down one of Blaenau Gwents most value for money Fire Stations, those shoes would be those of Huw Jakeway, the Chief Fire Officer for South Wales.

Over the last two days, you have seen how the proposal put forward by unknown bean counters as a justification for endangering lives and destroying a vital part of a community, to save a few pounds, has been revealed to contain large numbers of inaccuracies.

Yesterday, Councillor Lisa Winnett was forced yet again to write to CFO Huw Jakeway concerning yet another inaccuracy that she had discovered, that you may read about in a copy of the email that she sent to him yesterday. Lisa Winnett seems to be a real Rottweiler when it comes to defending her area and I am glad she is not on my trail.

Welsh Politicians Rally Round Blaina Fire Station

Two of Blaina Fire Stations Supporters

Excellent news from the Wales Online website, where the headlines shout out: Campaign to save Blaina fire station gathers support, before going on to announce that incredibily, over 1,400 people had signed the online petition, that if you have not signed, you can do so by clicking on this link now.

These figures are amazing, given that the campaign to save Blaina Fire Station was only launched just a few days ago and one can only imagine how high they will go over the coming weeks.

The article also reports on a statement given by one of the stations threatened 17 firefighters whose jobs are at risk, who told Wales Online that the information provided by the Fire Service as justification for the closure of Blaina Fire Station, is in fact incorrect and that they "have undervalued our station".

Come on Huw, withdraw the proposal Now, whilst you still have our sympathy

You know I have a certain amount of sympathy for the Chief Fire Officer for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Huw Jakeway, and many of you will wonder, how can I have any other feelings than one of contempt, for a man who is attempting to close down our local Fire Station.

A Fire Station that stands between death and the people of Blaina, including the surrounds that the station serves within minutes of being called out. I mean how could I have sympathy for a man who would see the lives of our young endangered?

Being ex-military myself (the Brigade/Service is run like the military), I have never ever met or read of any Senior Officer who wished to see his forces and resources on the ground diminished, for he knows that reductions in available forces to deploy in a battle/fire could lead to defeat and the deaths of his men and I am damned sure that Huw Jakeway does not want that.

Tuesday 29 October 2013

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