Fire Brigade staff could go on strike over government plans to close all fire service control rooms in England and Scotland, union leaders have warned.
The government plans to close 46 control centres in England and create nine regional centres, using new technology. In Scotland the plan is to reduce the number of control centres from 8 to either three, two or one.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the project will lead to cuts in fire services, push up council tax and put lives in danger.
The FBU annual conference passed an emergency resolution condemning the plans. The union said it would oppose the plans by all means possible including balloting for industrial action.
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FBU general secretary, Matt Wrack, said: “The new ministers need to listen to the voices of the fire service telling them this plan must be dropped. It is opposed by the workforce and by large numbers of councillors and fire authorities.
“The government’s track record on large scale technology projects is very poor. Their record suggests this project will be very expensive and fraught with difficulty.”
