http://www.saveswanseacoastguard.co.uk/ Some pen pusher in London has decided that the 2nd most important Coast Guard station in the UK should close. Please take 2 minutes and sign to prevent loss of life (dramatic statement I know but could become factual)
It could also be said that saving money here could save lives elsewhere. I'm not saying I agree with the closure, but spending one in one place means it can't be spent elsewhere. So you also have to consider the impact in the area where the money isn't being spent.
Swansea has a massive tidal range and the coastguard is one of the busiest in the UK, and the staff there all know the local conditions better than anyone else. If this station closes, I think sadly, it is inevitable it will at some point cost a life. All for an annual figure less than some MP's/footballers earn in less than half that time. This genuinely sickens me.
But it's a fact. A classic example is that whenever there is a train crash there are always people demanding that money be spent on making trains safer. That is all very well and good, but if they spent the money on making cars safer instead, then more lives would be saved. I can't remember the exact figures, but for every £1m spent on train safety, one life is saved, but if that money was spent on car safety, 10-20 lives or more would be saved. So if you only have £1m to spend and you have to spend it on either cars or trains, then it would be best to spend it on car safety, as more lives would be saved. I have no idea about the coastguard costs or how many lives they save. So all I'm saying is that you first need to have these figures and then make an informed decision. There isn't enough money to make a utopian world, so we need to use the money we do have as efficiently as possible. If spending it on the coastguard is a good use of that money, then great, but no-one seems to come up with any details. All anyone ever says is... save this, save that, etc, as if money were unlimited. So maybe the choice is cut cancer treatment or save the coastguard service. So if you want to save the coastguard, then you are condemning people who have cancer. I'm just saying to put the money to use where it works best. So not a load of codswallop at all.
Signed, sealed and delivered. Casual, nothing against the points you make. But bear in mind that the bankers received approximately 14 billion pounds in bonuses this year. Perhaps someone can remind us who caused this recession in the first place, and why this country has no money? Except for footballers, politicians expenses, BBC executives etc.
And there is where i'd stop if I was you! They are one of the busiest coastguards in the whole of the UK, the savings are minimal if anything, and I would put money on it that coordinating things from Southampton which is over 200 miles away is completely idiotic, they don't know the area at all, and lives will be lost because of this! Really they compromise the whole service by doing this, and I don't believe it will save any money at all, in fact it will cost a hell of a lot more, for every life lost there are many consequences elsewhere, like people needing benefits, or other financial help from the public purse, and this is a long term thing!
Come on Bangkok/ Casual/ whatever you want to call yourself these days. If it looks like it, smells like it then usually it is codswallop. When the government has an international aid budget of £9 billion pounds they can't find the money? You don't need to see the facts. The facts should already be obvious to you, a seemingly intelligent human being. A coastguard is not a preventative measure, it as an emergency service. A reactionary service where every second can make the difference between life and death. It is there because by nature, humans will find themselves in situations beyond their or anyone else's control due to mother nature or foolishness. Using your 'theory' on safety, do you honestly believe the £7 million pound is better off spent on improving the safety of every boat, sailor, fisherman, swimmer, surfer, tourist, rambler etc across the whole of the South Wales coast and the North Devon coast. I think not. Or do you propose that we build a giant fence across the whole of the south wales and north devon to stop anyone getting near the sea and coastline. You are either jesting or trying to put a political spin on this which leaves a sour taste in my mouth. What price do you ut on a human life exactly? Not just codswallop but complete codswallop. I take it you didn't sign the petition then. Each to their own.
its casual fan mate The £7m saving is across all the coastguards I believe, the Swansea one will probably be far less than £1m
The swansea coast guard is a very serious necessity not a luxury ! But then again when have government ever put deaths avoided before thier own self intrest ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-14260478 So it's twice as busy as Milford Haven and they want to close it. Brilliant strategy. I refuse to believe a system based centrally in Southampton will be better equipped to deal with emergencies in the area currently covered by Swansea coastguard. If they came out and said "It's saving money, so we're closing it" then at least I'd admire their honesty, but pretending it will be a better service beggars belief. Unless they actually believe it, in which case that is even more ******ed.
Can someone please explain how you can justify closing this service down when their is obvious need for the service. Have the desicion makers considered how they can even think of promoting Swansea as a coastal resort which lets face it is our best tourist attraction without taking into account peoples safety. Would they open the LC2 without lifeguards!! Why is the different. Council policy clearly states that their priority is to make Swansea a safer better place to live, we are know about the so called positive changes that millions of pounds of investment that are taking place to increase tourism, surely investing in the coastguard service and safeguarding lives is a far better investment and use of public money would. As so many property developers and grants are being used to redevelop Swansea as a whole someone needs to incorparate the costs of running this valable service into the costings of keeping all these additional tourists and of course us as local people safe. That's what I call good use of money.
Its out of the hands of our local decision makers..... this decision was made on a national scale up in London
