PEOPLE are being invited to have their say in shaping the future of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Proposals could see Liphook’s roster of retained firefighters – who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, cut from 12 to just eight – as the fire and rescue service looks to save £28,000 from the station’s annual budget.

The fire service has prepared proposals to redefine how incidents will be responded to, including different vehicle and crewing models, to create a “more relevant and efficient” fire and rescue service.

These proposals were approved by the service’s governing body, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority, and have been released under a formal 12-week consultation, which will run until December 4.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service operates from 51 stations in the county – and that is how it will stay following he Planning for a Safer Hampshire review.

The change will come in how each station will deliver individual levels of service in terms of personnel and equipment. Fire chiefs at the county headquarters in Winchester calculate the average first response time at Liphook is currently eight minutes and 57 seconds.

And under the new staffing levels recommended, that will be cut to seven minutes and 46 seconds to cover the village’s population of 8,320.

In the last full year of incidents available, in 2013/14 Liphook-based crews responded to 19 “critical” incidents, and 49 classed as “non-critical.”

The last major blaze in the village was when The Green Dragon pub’s roof caught fire and caused extensive damage to the building, which was completely gutted by the fire, in January 2013, which required 55 firefighters from Hampshire, West Sussex and Surrey to extinguish.

And in November last year, a motorist careered through the ground floor flat in Moss Court, on the Portsmouth Road, and firefighers had to secure the safety of the building after evacuating residents. Two flats damaged in the crash caused by a woman driver, who was both over the legal limit for drinking and drug-taking, have still not been completely repaired some 10 months later.

Both Liphook and Grayshott fire stations are first in line to respond to any major incidents on the A3 and the tunnel at Hindhead.

Over the past 18 months, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has worked on a comprehensive review of its internal services in the face of the potential £12.2million gap in Government funding over the next four years.

While recent reviews have focused on back office provision and support teams, leading to the introduction of collaborative partnerships and shared service programmes, these proposals are aimed at making better, more efficient use of personnel and resources.

There remain no plans to reduce the number of stations or impose any frontline compulsory redundancies.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We have in no way compromised the safety of firefighters or indeed the people in the communities that we so proudly serve.”

Having already made significant strides in risk reduction over the past 10 years, using educational programmes, prevention initiatives and community and business safety events, the fire service has now carried out a detailed review of frontline operations; engaging with staff across the organisation to identify three specific areas for improvement.

The first has centred on emergency response vehicles. The traditional fire engines, with crews of four to six firefighters, are not always the most appropriate response for the wide range of incidents served. By diversifying the fleet it is hoped to create a more effective and efficient response.

Alton’s capability to respond more quickly in East Hampshire will be enhanced by the introduction of a small first-responder vehicle.

Carrying two to four firefighters, it will be fitted with the latest equipment and firefighting technology designed specifically to tackle fires safely and effectively. These vehicles will also be able to deal with serious road accidents, as well as carrying vital medical equipment in order to provide emergency medical care in the community.

Intermediate response vehicles, such as the one to be based at Bordon, will carry the same equipment, albeit with greater water carrying capacity, larger ladders and additional rescue equipment, and room for up to five crew.

The larger enhanced vehicles will be similar to the traditional engines, carrying a full range of heavy rescue equipment, a large pump and water, as well as a specialist foam capability suitable for all types of fires.

The second area of improvement is the implementation of an activity-based crewing model to ensure fire stations are resourced in a more risk-based way. Data shows most incidents happen during the day and early evening, and the proposal is to introduce four crewing models to match the risk profile of each station area.

While Liphook and Petersfield like Alton, Bordon, and Odiham, will operate at activity-based crewing level four, Basingstoke will be graded levels one and four, with 15 full-time firefighters able to effect an immediate round-the-clock response, with another 10 retained firefighters on call.

Thirdly, the aim is to create a more demand-led and flexible crewing system, so that there are more staff on duty when they are needed, and fewer during the periods of lower activity, reducing employee costs.

In urging people to “make their voices heard”, Chief Officer Dave Curry said: “We want to deliver an effective service in accordance with the needs of its local communities, ensuring that we match our resources to levels of known risk.

“In light of the changes in risk across Hampshire and potential financial challenges, it is vital that we remain relevant, become more efficient and provide the people of Hampshire with a first-class fire and rescue service.

To access an online questionnaire, visit hantsfire.gov.uk where there will be details of public meeting in Winchester on Wednesday, October 14, Basingstoke on Monday, October 19 and Portsmouth on Wednesday, November 11, which all start at 6.30pm and will finish at 9.30pm.