THE new joint chief fire officer and chief executive of East Yorkshire’s firefighters has said cuts won’t stop the service keeping communities safe.

Dene Sanders took up office on the 40th anniversary of the founding of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and said the service will cope with the budget cuts.

He said: “The organisation has risen to these challenges and continues to deliver high standards of service with fewer resources than before.

I want to lead the organisation to deliver innovation, flexibility and first class response and support, both independently and collaboratively, whilst maintaining the focus of keeping our firefighters and communities safe.”