Concern is growing that funding gaps between government grants to the Fire Authority and what it needs to enable it to continue to provide its current level of service, cannot be bridged.

The Fire Authority has been acting to deal with the reductions in funding for some time and has managed to balance its budget for 2015-16, but there will be a small gap of £300,000 in 2016-17. The Authority said: “Closing this gap is very unlikely to have any impact on frontline response.”

However the future is less secure for 2017-2020. They report that “All indicators suggest the period of austerity is likely to continue and there has been no suggestion the grant reduction trend of the last four years will be any different.

“Work is currently underway with partners in other emergency services and local authorities to collaborate in the provision of back-office support functions to provide savings to meet these future gaps.

“It is too early to say with certainty how much of the gap these measures will meet.”

In the past few years, fears that Ross and Whitchurch will lose fire crews have been allayed, largely due to fierce public opposition to these proposals. Suggestions to house the ambulance, fire and police together in one location in Ross have also been considered but ruled out.