An independent review recently warned that funding shortfalls over many years meant there was now ‘a risk to life and limb’ if the town brigade was hit by a major or protracted incident.
Home Affairs president Marc Leadbeater told the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast that his committee was not surprised by the findings and had fought behind the scenes for a higher 2026 budget.
‘We made a request.
‘We didn’t get everything we asked for, but we did get something,’ he said.
Hear more from Deputy Leadbeater on the latest Guernsey Press Politics Podcast, the first of a two-part interview with the Home Affairs president
‘We have got more money. Policy & Resources recognised that we have to make some changes at management level, but it’s going to be incremental.
‘I think we will probably be pushing the boundaries by asking for some more money again when it comes to the next budget round, but we will see.’
States day-to-day spending is set to rise by inflation plus 1% this year, after P&R accepted requests from committees for an additional £12m. on top of inflation but rejected bids for a further £16m. and proposed a new £4m. savings target.
Deputy Leadbeater said his committee also had to work with the prison governor and chief of police to trim their budget requests after completing negotiations with P&R.
He declined to apportion blame for under-investment at the fire service, but said the previous committee had responded to funding constraints by asking service chiefs to re-profile their leadership teams.
‘That is what happened at the Fire and Rescue Service. The deputy chief officer position was removed and that left them strategically very light at management level.
‘We need to make sure they are adequately resourced. We need to try to find a way we can invest. We’ll look to do everything we can.’
Deputy Leadbeater said that fire chief Les Britzman, who started in post only last year, was working on a community management plan, and that an action plan would be developed in response to the recommendations in the recent independent review.
He expected his committee to propose amendments to legislation used by the fire service, but doubted it would get around to developing an entire replacement for the ageing fire law.
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