Two county fire services plan to merge in the wake of government funding cuts

Wiltshire and Dorest Fire and Rescue Services are planning to merge in a bid to cope with government funding cuts and changes to working conditions that have brought firemen out on strike.

Members of both fire authorities have agreed to work towards developing a business case to combine the services in two years’ time with a combined budget of £55 million.

A joint statement Councillor Graham Payne, chairman of Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority, and Councillor Rebecca Knox, chair of Dorset Fire Authority, said: “Both Services have and continue to make substantial savings, but the level of grant we receive from government will continue to decline.

“In order to minimise any impact on the level of response we provide to our communities, members of both Fire Authorities have agreed to explore closer working with a view to the combination in 2016.

“We estimate that this will provide significant savings, lessen the reductions to front line services thus assist us in maintaining emergency response standards and make us more resilient.”

The merger would mean a joint command and control centre would be operated in Potterne, near Devizes, from 2015 but under only one chief officer.

Since 2010, Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has seen a reduction of 12 per cent of its government grant, which is due to fall by a further 17 per cent by 2017. It is expected to have dropped by a total of 50 per cent by 2019. In total this will amount to an overall drop of 20 per cent in the budget.

The bulk of the savings will come through top-level management reductions, a streamlining of services, such as fire investigation, and procurement savings.