 Unions claim that the region is being used as a 'guinea pig' |
Firefighters from across the region attended a joint rally in Devon on Monday to protest against plans to build a regional control room. Representatives from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) lobbied a meeting of the Regional Management Board at Devon Fire Headquarters near Exeter.
The board is made up of senior officers from the seven South West services.
The joint control centre could handle calls from as far afield as Gloucestershire and Cornwall.
The management board could influence the decision on the final location of the regional control room.
'Guinea pig'
The government wants fire services in Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Avon, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall to be run from one control room.
In October, John Prescott announced that none of the bids from the county fire services to run the new centre would be considered.
The FBU says the South West is a "guinea pig" for plans to scrap local emergency fire control rooms.
The final decision on the site will be announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in the New Year.
One-Minute World News 
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