FIREFIGHTERS across the county could vote to go on strike over their row with bosses about the new joint control room in Devizes.

The Wiltshire branch of the Fire Brigades' Union is to ballot its membership from tomorrow.

The ballot concerns the FBU's continuing dispute with brigade chiefs over the new joint control room, due to come into operation in May.

The ballot is scheduled to take two weeks and if it goes in favour of industrial action, more strikes in addition to those ordered nationally in support of a 40 per cent pay claim will take place in Wiltshire.

The Wiltshire branch of the union has opposed a joint control room since it was first proposed three years ago.

It claims that working with other emergency controllers would be distracting and that its present response system is specifically designed for its own needs. The union says a new one would adversely affect its members' ability to save lives.

Val Hampshire, of the Wiltshire FBU, said: "Management have done nothing to address our major concerns. After months of negotiations they have not moved an inch and we have been left with no other alternative but to ballot for industrial action.

"They have muddied the waters by talking about glass partitions and drinks machines. We are deeply concerned that, if this system goes into operation, people could die.

"At the moment we don't know exactly what form it will take but it is likely to be a discontinous action, similar to that adopted nationally on the pay dispute."

Deputy chief fire officer Phil Appleby denied that management had ignored union members' concerns. He said: "They sent us a letter detailing seven points of concern, and we have addressed every one.

"They are worried about job cuts there won't be any. They are worried about the command and control structure. We have had ergonomic consultants in to look at the situation."

Mr Appleby maintains that the planned industrial action is nothing to do with the local dispute but is a manifestation of national policy set by the Fire Brigades' Union.

He said: "They voted at a national conference recently against joint control rooms, not just in Wiltshire but generally. Andy Gilchrist (the union's general secretary) is coming to Swindon and I know he will say it is all about the Bain report. That is absolute rubbish. It has nothing to do with Bain."

The move towards joint control rooms was signalled by a report drawn up six years ago by the Government calling on more co-operation among emergency services.

Mr Appleby said: "Two years ago another report came out saying that control rooms handling fewer than 20,000 calls a year was inefficient and emergency organisations should consider forming a joint or regional control room. Wiltshire fire control handles 8,000 calls a year.

"We've had strikes before and we've coped and we will cope again. Fortunately, in Wiltshire we have a lot of fire fighters who are not members of the union, so they will not be going on strike."