A chief fire officer believes that the Government's modernisation plans will improve the district's service.

But some firefighters fear that they could mean the closure of Wharfedale's fire stations when the Government publishes its draft Integrated Risk Manage-ment Plans which examine the levels of fire cover needed for the district.

Rawdon Fire Station Acting Commander John Streets claims the proposals will improve cover.

"I think the one thing which needs to be accepted about these new measure is that they are going to improve cover," he said.

"The cover will not get any worse. This is an opportunity to improve it, this is where these plans will improve it. It is the whole purpose of this.

"People tend to look on the black side. It is difficult to predict the financial impact, there will be savings but there will be additional costs to improve cover.

"The plans are very much in their infancy, they have only just been started. I can't really speculate until I see their outcome."

Fire fighters are concerned that the consultation will mean the closure of the retained stations in Ilkley and Otley and the merging of the fire fighters to a central base.

One fireman said: "If Sains-bury's comes to Otley then the Otley fire station will go and they have offered to relocate it.

"But in the new proposals they might recommend that Ilkley and Otley stations close for good and build a new station out of the area from which everyone will be based from because there are not as many fires in Wharfedale as in other areas."

The Government intends to replace the traditional approach to providing fire cover as part of a programme of modernisation.

West Yorkshire's Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase has stressed that the withdrawal of old, inflexible standards of fire cover will not automatically signal the closure of small stations or the removal of particular appliances and equipment.

"Objective professional judgement will be at the heart of the whole process and individual fire authorities and their chief fire officers will be held to account for the way they engage public opinion and make their decisions," he said.

"Nothing will happen overnight, or by stealth."

The IRMPs are due to be completed by September to go to public consultation. A final decision could be reached by the New Year.

West Yorkshire's IRMP will be drafted by a special task force led by Deputy Chief Fire Officer Kevin Arbuthnot.

Chief Fire Office Toase explained that the IRMPs would improve public safety.

"The timetable is extremely demanding and it remains to be seen whether comprehensive plans can be delivered on target," he said.

"Nevertheless, work will begin immediately as the opportunity is there to map out major improvements to public safety across the county.

"The new framework will give greater priority to life, rather than the safeguarding of property, and will mean that resources can be targeted to specific local needs instead of being driven by national formula."

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services anticipates that the IRMPs will produce savings.

West Yorkshire Fire Authority Executive Committee member, Graham Kirkland said: "It is the basic blueprint for the fire service in the 21st century, it means a lot to everyone.

"But it does require co-operation both from the public, the fire authority itself and the various trade unions, one of which is in dispute at the moment.

"They have already got the best equipment money can buy, but modernisation means one thing to the Government and something different to the unions and it needs to be resolved.

"The fire service needs to be standard across the country."