UNION officials have voiced concern over proposals to remove specialist rescue staff from firefighting duties at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Kidlington headquarters.

If approved, the two watches would become a specialist rescue crew and firefighting duties would be taken on by retained staff.

The option, which would affect 14 members of staff, is one of several put forward in the service's Integrated Risk Management Plan, as part of a review of fire cover at the station.

The Oxfordshire branch of the Fire Brigades' Union (FBU) said the majority of firefighters at Kidlington were unhappy with the potential changes to working practices.

Kidlington Fire Station offers specialist rescue for the county for incidents including car crashes, floods and collapsed buildings. But it is also responsible for responding to calls to fight fires.

In the last 12 months, there has been a rise of ten per cent in the calls the station has received requiring specialist rescue. Calls for fighting fires have dropped by about the same percentage.

FBU secretary Andy Middleton said: "Personnel at Kidlington in the specialist rescue crew are unhappy at the prospect of having their firefighting duties removed from them."

Mike Bingham, the service's fire risk manager for Oxford, said the organisation needed to ensure staff had time for the training necessary to carry out specialist roles efficiently.

He said: "If they have not had the opportunity to maintain their training, it's a risk to the organisation, rather than the community. If one of the guys got injured, could we show that they were trained sufficiently to do their role? If we carry on as we are with the rescue tender and fire engine there's going to be a price."

Mr Bingham said they had a duty to provide a service to the community and insisted this would be maintained.