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.

A chance to learn the truth on BRFM Radio Fri 25 Oct 14:00

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.