Council leader to meet city’s fire chiefs

York Council’s leader, Coun James Alexander, will visit the main fire station in the city centre in Clifford Street when he will be given a tour of the building and meet officers involved in co-ordinating operations.

Coun Alexander said: “I’m keen to find out more information on what the fire service deals with on a day to day basis. We all know how vital they are to the community, but beyond that the public doesn’t get to see the work they do, particularly with the water rescue unit. The two rivers we have in York are one of the things that make us special as a city, but it’s incredibly important that they are maintained in a way that keeps the public safe. I’m interested in hearing how the fire service provides training to riverside businesses, specifically with the recent flooding.”

A radical shake-up of York’s fire cover will see crews move from the Clifford Street base to a new multi-million pound station in Kent Street. Senior fire officers have allayed concerns that emergency cover will suffer as a result of the move.