FIRE union bosses were today arguing the case against revised budget cuts likely to be accepted by fire chiefs at brigade headquarters outside Exeter.

Representatives from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) were outlining their insistence that there should be no axing of frontline services.

The Devon and Somerset Fire Authority must listen to residents’ concerns and reject the cuts, the FBU was due to tell members voting on the proposals which include the closure of Budleigh Salterton’s station and the re-location of Topsham’s base to the nearby brigade HQ at Clyst St George.

Ashburton, one of eight stations considered for closure, escaped the chop - although firefighters from the town were at the meeting today to support colleagues who had not been so lucky.

The final recommendations being debated also include removing eight fire engines from the fleet and crewing some pumps responding to incidents with fewer than four firefighters.

The service was forced to revise proposals after a successful campaign by the FBU and affected stations.

Some 4,000 people respond to the service’s consultation and more than 43,000 people signed a petition rejecting the cuts.

More than 95 per cent of responses to the public consultation opposed the suggested cuts to front-line services.

Addressing Devon and Somerset Fire Authority, James Leslie, Devon and Somerset FBU Brigade Organiser, will say:

‘We’re pleased to see that the service has paid some attention to public opinion. However, although the new proposals are a marked improvement on the initial plans, there is still much to be concerned by.

‘We welcome the commitment to achieving the initial response standard of the first fire engine arriving at an incident within 10 minutes on 75 per cent of occasions, but this must be for a fully crewed fire engine. The service should also commit to reach its full attendance standard of nine firefighters at an incident in 13 minutes, which the service are still refusing to report on.

‘We support the service’s plans for more prevention and protection work, but this should not be at the expense of front-line services. The consultation made it clear that the public do not support any cuts to front-line services. The fire authority stated that the public consultation was not a tick box exercise and, in the light of such an overwhelmingly negative response, we demand that they reject the recommendations as they stand.’

The cuts were proposed by two counties brigade in June last year in an attempt to save costs.

Despite promises from senior management to protect frontline services, full-time fire cover and jobs have been slashed since the merger of Devon Fire and Rescue Service and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service in 2007, says the FBU.