There's still time to have your say on the re-shaping of Suffolk's Fire and Rescue Service.

Lowestoft Journal: Suffolk County councillor Matthew HicksSuffolk County councillor Matthew Hicks (Image: Archant)

After starting a four-week pre-consultation, which runs until July 24, the brigade are calling on people to have a say in helping shape the future of the service.

The Fire and Rescue Service in Suffolk is expecting to have to make savings of more than £1m by 2018 and they want to identify as many ways as possible to meet the future challenges, while continuing to deliver an important and effective emergency service with a reducing budget.

Matthew Hicks, cabinet member for environment and public protection, said: 'Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has a strong reputation as being one of the most efficient in England with a track record for being innovative and for delivering very efficient and effective services. The service operates a shared 999 fire control with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, collaborates with other blue-light services in Suffolk to share property and has changed fire station crewing and its management structure to become even more efficient.

'This pre-consultation is really important. We would like to hear from people, before considering any ideas, about how we might redesign the services that are currently delivered. I would urge people to let us have their views so that these can be taken into account when we start to develop our ideas, which we will be consulting publicly on later this year.'

You can get involved by emailing FireServiceRedesign@suffolk.gov.uk call the Fire and Rescue Service on 01473 260588 or send a letter to Service Redesign Programme Manager, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service HQ 8, Russell Rd, Ipswich, IP1 2BX by July 24.