Fire union suggests budget change

The service is facing staffing changes as part of the plans

Firefighters have come up with a new suggestion to balance the books ahead of a budget meeting for the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority.

The authority needs to find cuts of about £1.3m in 2009.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it would like to see the service "tightening its belt", rather than altering frontline services.

The authority will make its decision about cuts or changes to the budget at a meeting on Friday.

Service 'amputation'

Cuts the brigade and fire authority are considering include changing how some stations in Devon are crewed - moving from full-time cover to in some areas to retained firefighters - and changes in how aerial platforms are staffed and operated.

The FBU said the third option of belt tightening should be considered.

Among the FBU's new suggestions are better management of staff vacancies and reviewing the salaries of senior managers.

Local FBU Secretary Trevor French said: "We think the authority should consider a third option, which would mean the service tighten its belt rather than amputate parts of its front-line service, and believes this can be done within a balanced budget."

Consultation process

He said the FBU agreed that current financial pressures facing the service were due largely to shortfalls in government grant but that the union disagreed strongly with the current proposals, which "effectively sacrifice emergency cover to pay for other functions".

Nearly 12,500 people have signed a petition against the proposed cuts.

The Fire and Rescue Authority said it had taken into account the views of the public following a consultation process and had lobbied for more government funding, but that its efforts had been unsuccessful.

It added that none of proposed cuts would be decided on until its budget meeting on 15 February and not before.