A pioneering scheme to employ on-call firefighters as special police constables in Devon has been criticised by the Fire Brigades Union.
The Fire Brigades Union fear being both a police and a fire officer could undermine their reputation. Credit: ITV News West Country
More than half a million pounds is being spent on additional collaboration work. The seven roles have been paid for.
Retained fire fighter Kevin Pearce is one of the first seven so called community responders. Credit: ITV News West Country
Kevin Pearce, who is on-call to the fire service more than eighty hours a week, also volunteers as a special constable more than twenty hours a week patrolling Cullompton, within five minutes of the fire station.
He says his dual role has already come in handy.
However, the fire brigades union fear being both a police and a fire officer could undermine their reputation.
However other official bodies are keen to recruit more community officers particularly in North Devon.
