by Roger House FSB chairman, Kent and Medway region

It's not often that I look at issues mainly on my doorstep but here is an occasion that has so impassioned me that I feel the need to share it.

As a parish councillor at Horton Kirby and South Darenth where I have lived for more than 25 years, we are faced with an overt case of poor public agency thinking and public interface involving the Fire Authority.

The parish has long had a local part-time fire station, one that has acquitted itself well on numerous occasions for years. I wrote about it for the parish centenary history. The fire station now faces the threat of closure.

The council recently held an open meeting at which the public could put questions to two senior officers.

We listened, questioned and were left completely unmoved. There was no manifestation of genuine detailed joined-up thinking.

Now here is a situation where we all understand that financial savings have to be made, but not at the potential risk of human life and our property, or the economy.

The fire service is one we have paid for in our taxes and rates and to start unravelling a great service through what can only be suggested as poor management is no option.

It is not just the families; it is also about businesses. We are desperately keen to maintain our micro and small businesses both in the urban and rural communities.

Those homeworkers and businesses tucked in not easily accessible places all contribute to economic survival. It is not just about lives, but livelihoods.

We cannot put any of those at risk. The crux of this comment and the anger behind it is generated by a further open meeting, organised by Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon and backed by the local residents.

Mr Fallon, the public and firefighters attended but there were three empty chairs.

The fire service CEO felt she would gain nothing from the meeting and presumably neither did her two colleagues.

At a time when we are talking about the Big Society, when the public sector is under close scrutiny, you would imagine they would be there to explain themselves to their "customers".

We went through their report and opened up numerous queries based on conflicts of information and discrepancies. If a fire engine based on one site took too long to attend going in one direction, then surely the case was the same for opposite route!

We were keen to ask one question in particular. Was it true that the fire service had purchased 21 fire engines that are too big to fit the buildings?

At a meeting called by a senior MP, you would have thought that the senior responsible member of staff would have made herself available.

After all, we are told by Mr Fallon that she draws a wage equal to that of the Prime Minister.

The argument is fired up, the debate begins to smoulder, the alarm bells are ringing.