FIREFIGHTERS and control staff are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action today - heralding the first national fire strike in 25 years.

The result of the ballot on strike action, which has been held over the last three weeks, will be announced at midday and with a "yes" vote the Fire Brigade Union will announce strike dates only hours later.

That means the army's ancient fire appliances, the famous Green Goddesses, could be on the streets of Dorset and Hampshire as early as next Saturday to take charge of local fire incidents.

Dorset's branch secretary of the Fire Brigade Union, Phil Hatchard, said: "It's certainly the feeling in Dorset that there is overwhelming support for industrial action because members feel there is no alternative.

"We have asked the employers to adjust pay to meet all the additional roles and responsibilities we have taken on over the last 25 years.

"The Fire Brigade Union and firefighters are quite happy for there to be a review on our pay but the employers and the government want a review on the organisation and structure of the service as well. They have a modernisation agenda which my members take exception to."

Dorset firefighters will be in Bournemouth on Saturday to give community safety fire advice to the public and to explain their pay claim.

And on Tuesday they will be marching through Dorchester before giving a presentation to the Dorset Fire Authority at County Hall.

Mr Hatchard added: "We are compassionate people and we are concerned about public safety.

"We've already been out on the streets of Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth and the public have shown us a lot of support. But we are disappointed that our fire authority members have not shown us public support in our campaign."

The Fire Brigade Union is calling for a £30,000 basic salary for a qualified firefighter and emergency control room staff - a rise of some 40 per cent.

They say the 25-year-old pay formula their current salary is based on no longer reflects the highly skilled work they do.

But yesterday the local government employers of firefighters said a new pay formula should be settled through an independent inquiry and modernisation of the service.

A four per cent pay rise from the employers was rejected earlier this year by the Fire Brigade Union.

The employers stated: "A strike is an extreme and drastic form of action that, in the fire service, will put lives at risk.

"The employers cannot offer more than they have already offered without government support and believe the best chance of getting that support is if the firefighters' claim is tested independently by an inquiry."