A RETIRED firefighter has warned about a proposal that could "risk life and limb" in an emergency.

John Gordon, 55, a former Kidderminster fireman and now a Stourport district and county councillor, spoke out after Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade proposed fire crews giving 'fire prevention instruction' in schools should no longer be on call.

Instead, retained fire crew members will respond to any calls.

He said: "This will mean a delay of about eight minutes since they will be at home or at work.

"It could mean the difference between life and death."

He added: "In the past when a crew went to school, they left the driver in the cab on the radio, and if they received a call they would all immediately go."

Mr Gordon said one crew a week usually goes to a school for a couple of hours at a time.

He claimed if the proposal is approved the commitment to one full-time pump available in Kidderminster 24 hours a day would be likely to be broken.

"Under the Fire Services Act a fire authority must provide fire cover, not fire prevention advice. I think the Brigade have got their priorities slightly askew," said Mr Gordon.

And he warned: "The grass roots totally object to this. It's playing with people's lives."

But Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade spokesman Alec Mackie said it hoped the initiative would be in place by February.

He said: "We are producing the Fire Safety Schools Education Programme in collaboration with both counties' education authorities for children doing key stages one, two and three."

He added: "Teachers have been consulted and it has been designed specifically to enable children to learn by playing games, taking part in activities and interacting with firefighters."

Mr Mackie stressed the Brigade was in discussion with firefighters' representatives and that they would continue to meet Home Office guidelines on the speed of crews' response.