FIRE service calls for Dorset will now be taken by the service control centre in Wiltshire as both counties join control rooms ahead of a future merger.

The merger between the Dorset Fire Service and the Wiltshire Fire Service into one single authority is set to take place on April 1 next year.

All 999 calls for both counties are now answered by the new Service Control Centre based at Potterne near Devizes, Wiltshire.

This is the first formal bringing together of functions within the new service ahead of the full merger.

More than a dozen Dorset Control staff have joined up with the control room in Wiltshire.

The combination was made to make vital savings while also enabling the organisation to maintain a safe, strong and sustainable service.

When the plans were green lit last year it was revealed the merger could see the services save between £5.3million and £6.7million combined.

The plans when they were announced last year were anticipated to make 20 backroom staff redundant but it was not anticipated that there would be any frontline redundancies.

Elected members from the two fire authorities agreed unanimously in December 2013 to combine the control rooms.

The new centre has been made possible by the Networked Fire Control Services Partnership.

The centre at Potterne will be joined with control rooms in Eastleigh and Exeter.

Once the centre in Exeter goes live with the same technology at the end of September, the fire service expects to be able to mobilise appliances for other services when needed to provide greater resilience.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue spokesperson tweeted: “It is a sad day for us, but both services are going forward together and all on Red Watch wish them well in their endeavours.”

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service's chief fire officer Darran Gunter will head up the combined authority when it goes live next year.