12:50pm Friday 30th July 2010
By Alexandra Barham
Redbourn Fire Station has received an "inadequate" rating in a performance review.
The audit, carried out by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, assesses "all aspects of the service".
The less than satisfactory result coupled with confirmed cuts across the fire service has sparked concern among residents that the retained unit is under threat.
However these claims are strongly denied by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue.
One concerned resident Steve Oakes Monger told the Review: "Redbourn fire station watch your back because Radlett had a far far better record but was closed in a most controversial manner."
Herts Fire and Rescue Service insist the audit is not a death sentence for the station, but simply an opportunity to identify areas where the service can be improved.
The procedure, introduced in 2009, assesses each station in the county and grades them with a score of one to four – one being inadequate and four being excellent.
Redbourn was given a score of one, the lowest grade in the Hertsmere, Welwyn and Hatfield region and one of only three stations in the county to receive the rating – along with Bushey and Royston.
The results were published in the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service annual report 2009/2010 which states that stations are assessed on "overall performance".
The Review is awaiting comment from Herts Fire and Rescue.
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