Relief in the country of the fire brigade, now that it has become clear that the much-discussed reorganization plan of the Noord-Holland Noord Safety Region is definitively going to be scrapped. It creates happy faces among the fire volunteers. “We have been listened to.”
Because the chosen path turns out to be unfeasible and the to angry and bewildered volunteer firefighters, the much-discussed reorganization plan will definitely go into the trash.
“We cannot carry out the task of modernizing the fire brigade within the existing budget. Simply because there is no support at the posts for the route we had in mind,” says Krishna Taneja, regional fire chief and director of the North Sea Security Region. Holland Noord: “If we want to innovate towards the future, we need a mass that says: we support this. We don’t have that now.”
The Security Region embraced the strong criticism, conducted surveys, held dialogues at all 52 fire stations and came to the conclusion that there was no point in continuing with the reorganization plan. “We heard you. The message has come across,” says Taneja in the staff magazine of the fire brigade. “You have made clear what motivates you, what drives you, how the interests of your own city, village or community come first.”
Happy faces
The ‘affected’ firefighting teams reacted with enthusiasm to the news. “That is of course good news and we are very happy with it. We have done everything we can, such as entering into a dialogue with the management, and the board has now realized that it is an unfeasible card,” says fire brigade commander Matthias Zijp in Birch wood.
“We have been listened to. I am very happy,” says Ad Baltus. He is a firefighter with the voluntary firefighting team in Stompetoren. “They have returned to it and that is to their credit. We all sometimes make the wrong decision. We start from the beginning with each other and look to the future together.”
Back to the drawing board
What now? A committee of five mayors – Jan de Boer (Den Helder), Monique Bonsen (Koggenland), Rian van Dam (Hollands Kroon), Marjan van Kampen (Schagen) and Michel Pijl (Drechterland) – will examine this issue in the near future.
The committee’s report – with the price tag attached to it – must be on the table this spring.
Krishna Taneja: “It is good that everything is now on the table. With that knowledge we will continue, step by step. There are many challenges such as the aging population and posts that are insufficiently staffed during the day. These are issues that cry out for a solution. Our organization squeaks and creaks on all sides, it is clear that we have to do something.”
‘Not thrown in the trash’
The national Association of Volunteer Fire Brigades (VBV) also applauds the news. “I received it this morning. Of course we are very happy with that. Also for the fire volunteers, who literally rescue people from the fire every day. They are not thrown in the trash,” says chairman Marcel Dokter.
He understands that the Security Region had to get going because cutbacks had to be made. “Only its implementation was not the right path. It is very nice that the plan has now definitively gone to the trash.”
Briefly explained: the reorganization plan – what was it again?
Close, expand or downsize. Last year, the Noord-Holland Noord Security Region set off a bomb in the country of the fire brigade when it presented a plan, including names and back numbers. The extinguishing groups of Ursem and Slootdorp had to close in due course, 13 other groups – including Hippolytushoe, Birch woodBlocker, Stompetoren, Abbekerk, Koedijk, Limmen, Dirkshorn, Breezand, Akersloot, Wieringerwaard, Heerhugowaard-De Noord and Wervershoof – should no longer be allowed to perform some actions. “We want to make one third of the 52 locations heavier, keep one third the same and lighten one third,” said Krishna Taneja, regional commander and director of the Security Region. rather against NH.
With a downsizing, a fire station is limited in its activities and is no longer allowed to enter in the event of a fire. They should only be allowed to carry out preparatory activities and perhaps wait for colleagues from another post to be allowed in.