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Jeremy HiltonCounty Councillor Elmbridge, Kingholm & Wotton and Westgate City Councillor Kingsholm & Wotton |
Jeremy Hilton has been elected as the Liberal Democrat lead on the Fire Service at the Local Government Association
This was his manifesto
Jeremy Hilton - 14 years experience on fire service matters
Jeremy Hilton has over 14 years experience within the fire and rescue service, first as chairman of the public protection committee (1985/89) and then as cabinet member for fire on Gloucestershire County Council (2001/05).
Jeremy Hilton at Fire Service National Resilience Board HQ
More recently Jeremy has taken a leading role on fire service matters at a national level.
He currently serves on the National Resilience Board, where he helped broker a deal that transferred New Dimension assets (high volume pumps, mass decontamination and urban search & rescue etc) to local fire authorities - free of charge.
Jeremy also ensured that the government funded the National Resilience Board with a budget for New Dimension asset refresh and training; plus securing a 16 year maintenance contract.
The government now wants to transfer responsibility for FireLink, the communication system used by brigades all over the country. The contract with Airwave is up for renewal in 2016 and Jeremy has been appointed to the national FireLink Transition Board looking into this.
Jeremy's position on the National Resilience Board comes via his membership of the LGA Fire Service Management Committee. He is the longest serving Liberal Democrat on this Committee.
That is why he is standing for election as the Liberal Democrat LGA lead on fire service matters.
Recently, Jeremy served on a working party reviewing the future of the Fire Services College at Moreton-in-Marsh. The next meeting (18th July) of the Fire Service Committee will receive this report.
Jeremy Hilton at Gloucestershire's TriService fire control
In 2003, Jeremy Hilton in his capacity as the cabinet member for fire opened the innovative TriService Emergency Centre in Gloucestershire. This emergency centre did a superb job during the devastating floods of 2007 handling the emergency calls etc.
Gloucestershire also built the TriService vehicle workshops under his watch.
Jeremy always opposed the last Labour government's Regional Fire Control Project (FireControl).
Jeremy gave evidence on two occasions to House of Commons Select Committees on FireControl and has been at meetings with several successive fire ministers arguing the case against the project.
He was part of the Liberal Democrat team on the Fire Services Committee that changed the LGA's policy from supporting to opposing FireControl.
This policy ultimately helped persuade the new Fire Minister Bob Neill to scrap the FireControl project in December 2010.
The National Audit Office has slammed the former Labour government for the money squandered on FireControl - a project over budget, late, and full of technical faults.
Jeremy now wishes to make sure that all fire authorities are able to upgrade their own control centres with government support, but without government prescription.
The people of Chile have also benefitted from Jeremy's involvement in fire as he has arranged the donation of two fire engines and a turntable ladder to three voluntary fire companies based in Chile.
Gloucestershire fire engines arrive in Chile
The Bomberos of Chile are delighted by the ex-Gloucestershire fire appliances that they are now using.
In the next few years there are some big issues facing the fire service from the upgrading of its radio system, fire service pension reform, the modernisation of control centres, the localising of national functions and the pressure on the budgets of fire authorities.
The Liberal Democrats need a spokesperson at the LGA who knows his stuff - that person is Jeremy Hilton.
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