PLANS to merge Dorset Fire and Rescue Service with its Wiltshire and Swindon counterpart have been given the green light.

Members of Dorset Fire Authority (DFA) unanimously agreed to the merger with the Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority (WSFA) at an extra-ordinary meeting yesterday (Tuesday) following a 13-week public consultation.

Three scenarios were considered by service chiefs as managers looked to cut costs and make the service more efficient.

The first option was to remain independent and increase collaboration with Dorset County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole, the second was to increase collaboration with WSFA along with the three councils and thirdly, to merge fully with WSFA to create a single combined authority and to increase collaboration with the councils.

Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter said the service needed to make savings as it was facing an 8.4 per cent reduction in government grants next year, and a further reduction of 5.5 per cent the year after.

He said the merger could see the services save between £5.3million and £6.7million combined, with £2.7million coming from the “unique fire-to-fire relationship” between the services, although 20 staff from the “back office” would be made redundant following the merger.

There are no anticipated redundancies for front line staff.

The two services would also be awarded a £5.5 millions transformation grant for the merger to help with the transition into a combined authority.

Mr Gunter said: “It's important to say that it is not simply a cost-cutting exercise but it's about saving front line services, which was one of the criteria given to me by the DFA.

“We have conducted a full review of capital expenditure. If we choose option three, we can use our reserves more effectively and benefit from the economies of scale.”

Mr Gunter also said retained firefighters currently utilised by the service would not lose jobs, and the amount of retained firefighters could increase.

He said: “Eighty-five per cent of crew from fire engines are retained and 65 per cent of our total operational workforce is retained, we are very much a pay as you go service.

“We have got no plans for a detrimental impact on the retained service, quite the opposite actually. We need to look at actually strengthening the retained service and speaking to employees and employers about being a retained firefighter.”

Thousands of residents across the county took part in the consultation and Dave Hall from Opinion Research Services, which conducted the research, presented its findings to the meeting.

Mr Hall said he was “convinced” the public understood the options and issues facing the service, with thousands taking part in questionnaire plus around 150 people taking part in public forums.

He said one member of the public told him during the forums that “I just want an effective fire engine to come when there is an emergency”, and that the general consensus from people was they preferred a merger with Wiltshire and Swindon because it “makes sense to have two specialist organisations collaborating” rather than the fire service competing for funding with other services the councils provide.

Mr Hall said: “It's quite a remarkable consensus. We are used to public consultations where there is support in lots of different areas or of different methods.

“Here it's very simple. There was an overwhelming preference for a merger with Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority.”

Members of the Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority were also in attendance at the meeting, and its management committee will meet next week to make their decision on the potential merger.

If it is given the go-ahead at the meeting, the two services will submit a combination order by the end of the year and it is hope the new fire authority would being operating on April 1, 2016.

PANEL

IT was also revealed by Mr Gunter that Dorset Fire and Rescue Service had received calls to 63 incidents since the firefighters strike started on Friday.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union have taken four-days industrial action in an ongoing row with central government about changes to the national pension scheme.

The strike finished at 6pm last night (Tuesday) and Mr Gunter added at none of the incidents had resulted in serious injuries or deaths.