A FIRE chief said Oxfordshire still needs more retained firefighters after the latest spark recruitment was snuffed out.

Dave Etheridge said the part-time firemen and women were vital to countywide operations and more were needed to keep engines on the road.

His call comes as Oxfordshire County Council agreed to scrap one pay initiative designed to keep and recruit retained officers.

Oxfordshire’s 400 part-time or retained firefighters were originally paid for each call-out they respond to, earning on average £6,500 per year.

However, when council officers felt the system penalised firefighters who turned up only to find a full crew had already been formed, they set up a pilot pay scheme.

This meant retained crews were paid a salary based on the average number of calls their station received. This pay project ran at eight stations.

But after 14 months the council said the scheme had not worked, with figures showing 15 people left the pilot stations in 2010 compared to just five the year before.

A survey of stations involved in the scheme concluded: “The scheme did not, in the view of those who responded, make any difference to their commitment to the service.”

Mr Etheridge, who began his career as a retained firefighter, agreed the pilot scheme had not worked but said there was still a need to recruit. He said: “Around 75 per cent of the brigade is covered by retained firefighters. That is how important they are.

“We have some fire stations with 100 per cent availability such as Hook Norton.

“In others we find it challenging to find fire cover, in particular Goring and Henley.”

Mr Etheridge said response times were compromised if retained engines were unavailable and said full-time crews were sent to cover for stations with a shortage of retained firefighters.

But he added: “We cannot always do that and there are times when the local fire station is off the run and therefore travel time from the next nearest station will be longer.”

But not all watch managers agreed with claims the scheme failed.

Darran Gough at Banbury Fire Station said: “With the termination of the salary scheme I can see many retained crew members leaving in these times of domestic financial struggle.”

All 24 fire stations in Oxfordshire have retained crews working at them and 18 are staffed solely by retained staff.

This year 36 new retained firefighters have joined the service, but 38 have left.

For more details on becoming a retained firefighter call 0800 587 0870.