FIREFIGHTERS asked the public to back their campaign to stop the closure of local emergency call centres which they say will put lives at risk.
Plans have been drawn up by the Government to amalgamate the existing 46 fire call centres into nine regional control rooms.
But members of the Fire Brigades Union received support from the public when they hit the streets of Worcester on Saturday.
They asked people to sign a petition which will be sent to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - the department behind the plans - and new MPs.
"There is no doubt that the closure of local fire control rooms will cost lives," said Steve Laugher, FBU branch secretary for Hereford and Worcester.
He said the changes would mean longer response times.
But a spokeswoman for Deputy Prime Minister said the changes were designed to make the service more 'resilient' and that response times would improve thanks to new technology.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article