FEARS that fire safety cover in North Yorkshire could be reduced as a result of planned changes have been denied.

A service review has followed an agreement between the Fire Brigades' Union and local authorities nationwide, under which some frontline firefighters could be lost.

North Yorkshire's Fire and Rescue service is now considering changes as part of its risk and management plan.

They are likely to include the removal of dedicated crews for aerial appliances at Harrogate, Scarborough and York and other firefighters being swapped between conventional engines and the devices when needed.

The dedicated crews would move on to community fire safety work.

New first response vehicles are set to be introduced, according to the authority, with standard engines manned by only two or three officers.

County Councillor Geoff Rennie, chairman of the county fire authority, said the changes were part of the settlement in the long-running national dispute over conditions for firefighters.

He said: "Part of the settlement was that the firefighters got a pay increase and the other part was the service would introduce changes because in some areas it had not changed since the 1940s."

Brigades in market towns like Malton, Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside and Pickering were unlikely to see any significant changes.

He said they would, however, see an increase in their workload and fire prevention duties.

Coun Rennie said that because of North Yorkshire's remoteness, fire crews often faced long journeys to reach outlying areas when called out so it was important that the best fire prevention measures were carried out.

He said: "We want to see more households with smoke alarms and for firefighters to check premises for potential risks. In that way, we would be helping people to help themselves and reduce the number of call-outs.."

Colin Chadfield, area manager for the eastern area of the county fire brigade, said there would be positive changes made to the service in North Yorkshire.

He said the new arrangements would make it easier for the service to attract more recruits at stations manned by retained crews.

A public consultation on the new plan is now under way and ends on February 2.

The issue will go before the Fire Authority for a decision on February 14.