The government wants to replace six Emergency Fire Control Rooms with one regional control centre, saying it will save money and be more efficient.

But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says local knowledge will be lost.

The control rooms facing closure are in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Cost-effective

A spokesperson from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said the establishment of regional fire control centres was to create a better, more efficient service that saved more lives.

During a visit to Witham in Essex on Monday to plan their campaign of opposition, FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist said they had not seen any compelling or believable figures that the closures would save money.

"These changes as proposed won't save a single extra life anywhere in East Anglia in any of the brigades," he said, adding the proposal was "cynical political manoeuvring".

Regional control representative of the FBU, Shelley Blewett, said: "Local emergency fire control rooms in each brigade are cost-effective, and are the fastest way of responding to an emergency call.

Although local knowledge is sometimes helpful, it already plays a minor role in the operation of modern fire control rooms Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

"Your local emergency fire control staff are highly professional and have local knowledge of place names, geography, risks and specialist skills that save lives."

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spokesperson said the government could not support any package of proposals that would lead to a worse service and added regional control centres would lessen the need for control centre staff to use local knowledge.

"Although local knowledge is sometimes helpful, it already plays a minor role in the operation of modern fire control rooms.

"The new centres will be equipped with advanced technology to ensure accurate location details are accessible to every fire and rescue control operator - including calls made from mobile phones; this represents a significant improvement in present arrangements."