WITH the resources of the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service stretched to the limit by floods across the county there was certainly no shame in calling for back-up from both the military and brigades in other parts of England.
But while the arrival of the reinforcements may have caught the headlines, the efforts of our own Berkshire firefighters in not only helping to turn back the tide but also handling their regular frontline quota of road smashes, house fires and foolishly malicious vandalism should not have gone unnoticed.
Therefore we trust there was a touch of loyalty and gratitude, rather than simple pragmatism, involved when members of the fire authority decided last week to reverse £257,000-worth of a proposed £1.7m package of cuts and job losses.
Since 1968 the Thames Rescue Service, manned by volunteers and funded by charitable donations, has operated along the river, saving lives, providing a lifeline for the besieged residents of riverside properties and vital standby at public events such as Reading Waterfest.
However, much needed renovation work on Reading Bridge means the service has been given notice to quit its long-standing base, leaving it high and dry without even storage space for its boats.
Providing a new home for the Thames Rescue Service would certainly be a gesture of loyalty and gratitude from a community which might not miss it until it’s no longer there. Can anyone help?
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