ROUTING 999 fire calls to Cambridgeshire will lead to longer response times that could cost lives the local FBU (Fire Brigades Union) warned this week.

As part of a national shake-up by the Government, Hertfordshire's emergency calls will be dealt with from a multi-million pound base in Waterbeach, north of Cambridge, along with calls from Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Leading firefighter Andy Corfe, Hertfordshire's FBU representative, who is based at Watford Fire Station, said the plans due to be implemented within three years "can only mean greater risk to the public".

He said: "It is with great sadness and apprehension that I hear of the Government's plans to regionalise fire control rooms.

"It seems this Government's drive to achieve efficiency within the public sector will not be checked by safety or common sense.

"This is especially ironic in an area such as the Fire Service, where public safety is our core interest."

He points out that the current system from a base in Stevenage works because control staff are local.

He said: "They have knowledge of the local resources and equipment available.

"This allows them to make decisions which someone further away would not be able to do as easily, thus saving time and improving safety."

The Government has introduced the changes to enable a co-ordinated response to terrorist attacks and national disasters.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister claims the new system will lead to reduced response times and a more efficient service that saves more lives.

For full story see today's printed version of the Watford Observer.