The costs of funding pensions and preparing for a new national communication system have impacted on a fire service's budget for 2008/09.
Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service chiefs will present a budget of £21.5m - a 6.5% increase on the previous year - to board members.
However, bosses will report that efficiency savings of £405,000 have been identified.
Pensions costs have been calculated at running to £610,000.
'Pensions bulge'
The 2008/09 budget will have £370,000 funded from the service's revenue reserve.
A previous report to Highlands and Islands Fire Board, told how a large UK-wide recruitment drive in the 1970s meant there was a substantial increase in the number of employees eligible to retire after 30 years' service.
The so-called "pensions bulge" was one of three pressures on the service's budget for 2008/09.
Training and converting vehicles for Firelink - a national communication system - and payments for professional development also had an impact.
The fire board will meet on Friday.
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~37~RS~)