Chief fire officer takes 20% pay cut to help deal with budget reductions
THE chief officer at Avon Fire and Rescue is having his pay cut by £37,000 to help deal with budget cuts.
Kevin Pearson earns £130,000 a year so it represents a 22 per cent drop in salary.
Avon Fire Authority agreed the reduction yesterday, as part of a £2.6 million cuts plan for 2011/12.
As well as reviewing the chief fire officer's salary, authority members also approved plans to reduce the salaries of the fire and rescue service management board by up to 22 per cent for all future appointments.
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In a report to the authority Mr Pearson said he was "willing to accept the decision of the fire authority".
He said: "Throughout this cost cutting process I said we would look at every part of the organisation as we seek to deliver the necessary savings, while at the same time protecting the 999 response the community relies on.
"I promised to start at the top and that was not rhetoric. I meant what I said – the savings that will arise from this decision will protect jobs in the longer term.
"The wages of all public sector managers have been the subject of considerable debate in recent months. Avon Fire Authority has taken this decision so that we can continue to provide a first class emergency service to the public."
The fire service has had to make the cuts after the Government reduced its grant by £2.3 million.
Chair of Avon Fire Authority Terry Walker previously branded the reduction "unfair" and said it would have a "massive impact" on the service.
He said: "I thank the chief fire officer for his personal commitment to reaching the £2.6 million worth of savings we must make this year.
"There is no doubt the scale of the savings we must make are daunting but we can achieve them.
"Without question, making savings in management salaries will lessen the impact in other areas of the organisation."
The Fire Brigades Union said they were pleased senior management was doing their part to deal with the cuts but were unhappy by the severity of the government's reductions.
Brigade secretary for the South West Chris Jackson said: "If it saves one firefighter that's a good thing.
"If it could save two it would be better.
"Our firefighters have dealt with it in a measured way, but we're not happy with the front loaded cuts.
"We thought it was going to be four or five per cent, but it turned out to be nine.
"We've not had time to prepare staff for the changes and we're extremely unhappy about the job losses.
"We're glad it has been recognised that senior managers should take a hit as well as firefighters."
Comments
by Hugh Jass, Bris
Friday, March 04 2011, 5:59PM
“What a nasty bunch.
Would any of you take a 20, 25, 30% cut in salary to help out your "company"
Of course not. Here is a man making a very personal commitment to his service.
I applaud him. The guy is in a career job and obviously doesnt want to walk away so is taking the hit to stay in the job he loves.
Bert, do you have a job? And if you do and were told to take a 25% pay cut would you be happy for some small minded chap to say "well, obviously x amount of pounds overpaid in the first place".......tut.tut.
Plus I have to agree with DW.
Why did the work experience kid writing this article think that 37K off 130K is equal to 22% pay cut? AND the title states 20%!!
28% is a lot to lose.
Get a life people, no-one wants to take a paycut. None of you would.....if you had jobs of course.”
by Fairplay, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 10:35PM
“At least he is taking a pay cut, not like the top bankers and other people in power.”
by Chanter, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 9:40PM
“Colin Port - CC of Avon and Somerset, Take note!”
by trucks79, bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 6:56PM
“tbh fair play to the guy, however if he can afford to lose that sort of money then it just goes to prove he did not need it in the first place. and tbh earning that sort of money just shows he was being over paid in the first place.”
by Bert, Barton Hill
Thursday, March 03 2011, 6:06PM
“Obviously £37,000 overpaid in the first place.”
by Fireman, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 4:51PM
“Oh dear, a couple of bitter little people with so little knowledge between them, eh, 'Big' Ben and Jenny? Even the idiots in charge of the 'Post' can't get Big Kev's salary correct. What is it? Do your own research.
Say what you like about his wage, but if Carlsberg did Chief Fire Officers......................”
by Steve, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 4:42PM
“Jeez - a chief fire officer takes a big cut in his pay and all you moaners on here have a pop at him. Unbelievable!
What do you expect him to do - work for £20k a year, perhaps for free?
It's absolutely incredible how many people have a pop at public sector workers as if they have somehow caused the current financial crisis, when the investment bankers, who actually did cause the current recession and crisis are taking the p1ss out of all of us.
I despair at the intellectual ability of the average Daily Express reader, I really do.”
by Jenny, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 3:53PM
“Poor chap will have to scrape by on £97,000, does he still want a helecopter, at 2 million a year, perhaps the Fire Brigade hot air balloon, and the boat we purchased for him was not a good way of ridding us of our council taxes after all, watch out now for the few dozen A--- lickers looking for promotion cuuting there pay.”
by Dog Walker, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 12:44PM
“37k from 130k that he earns currently equates to 28% for 2011/12”
by Big Ben, Bristol
Thursday, March 03 2011, 11:54AM
“Is he the guy who drives the Audi R8 that is parked outside the Central Station in Bristol? Hope he didn't wake the men up just to tell them this, they need to rest for their second jobs!”