12:20pm Friday 27th January 2012
By Natalie O'Neill
London Assembly member Brian Coleman has claimed half a billion pounds could be saved by merging London’s fire and ambulance services.
Mr Coleman, chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority made the claim as he considered proposals on the future of the capital’s ambulance service yesterday.
He said: “The ambulance service is based at 70 dedicated stations across London. This is completely unnecessary and a total waste of money because they could be housed in under the same roof as the fire service.
“Merging most of them would end duplication and create synergies thus raising hundreds of millions of pounds.”
Making reference to fire and ambulance services working as one in France and the United States, Mr Coleman urged the same is done in the capital.
He said: “Bringing the blue light functions of the ambulance service under LFEPA control would restore democratic accountability as it used to be when it was under the control of the London County Council.”
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