40 fire service support jobs go

SOUTH Yorkshire Fire & Rescue is axing 40 jobs as part of cost-cutting plans.

The service will reduce its contingent of support staff by around 40 by November.

The posts will be removed from the current 227-strong support staff structure to help to minimise the impact of Government cuts on frontline services.

No firefighter or control room posts are being lost as part of this process, a spokesman said.

Some of the posts affected are already vacant, while service managers are hoping that the remaining reductions will be achieved through applications for voluntary redundancy,” he added.

The reductions are part of the service’s commitment to reduce its administrative costs by £2 million by 2014 to help protect frontline services.

Central Government cuts will reduce the service’s budget by £4.7 million a year by 2013, with the expectation that an even greater cut is likely between 2013 and 2015.