Jobs will be slashed under the new proposals, the FBU warns

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claims national plans for regional centres will bring job cuts and endanger lives.

But the government says it will replace old technology and be more efficient.

Control rooms in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire would close under the plans.

These plans are unnecessary and irresponsible. Mark Simmons, FBU

The union said there would be a Regional Management Board Meeting at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service headquarters, attended by local councillors and chief fire officers.

Mark Simmons, FBU regional official, said: "These plans are unnecessary and irresponsible.

"Not only will the project be very expensive, but it will badly affect the safety of firefighters and members of the public within our region.

"We can all see the government is heading for a financial and technological disaster with this, so we are urging all councillors and chief fire officers at the meeting to join us in trying to stop these ludicrous plans."

'Lack of investment'

The union has said the national project will see all 46 fire control centres in England replaced by nine regional centres.

Earlier this month, fire service minister Nick Raynsford said: "Existing control rooms do a good job, but they are not designed to deal, in a co-ordinated fashion, with major regional or national incidents.

"They operate with a wide range of procedures, technologies and systems - many of which have suffered from an historic lack of investment."

Mr Raynsford also said that the average cost of responding to an incident would be cut from �76 to �52, under the new proposals.