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Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has said that it needs to find an additional £1m per year just to break even.
The revelation came to light as the fire service announced it will increase its share of council tax by £4.95 for the next financial year.
Matthew Warren, Chief Fire Officer of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the service faced a “significant challenge” after Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service ended a 14 year-long partnership of delivering a combined fire control function, taking 999 calls and mobilising fire engines and other resources across both counties.
Warren added that the decision to increase council tax was a “difficult one” and not taken lightly. However, the end of the collaboration with Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, which was established to save each fire service money, has left Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service needing to plug the gap with the council tax rise.
The Cambridgeshire-Suffolk collaboration has reportedly saved more than £12m since it was established.
“Ending our partnership is extremely disappointing for us. Our colleagues in the Combined Fire Control have done a brilliant job over the years ensuring residents in both counties receive an excellent service when they need us, including during several periods of spate conditions managing record numbers of calls.
“Our county is one of the fastest growing in the country and we need to ensure we have the right resources in the right places to meet future demand.”
Matthew Warren, Chief Fire Officer of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Chair of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority, Councillor Edna Murphy, added: “For the past few years we have been fighting the corner for Cambridgeshire, asking for a fairer financial settlement for a fast growing county. After years of making significant efficiency savings from within the Service we had become very lean with little left to cut without a significant impact on front line services. This year fire and rescue services were given the authority to ask for up to £5 extra in its share of local council tax, which has thrown us a lifeline, but it limits the improvements that can be made to the Service.”
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