FIREFIGHTERS may have to work different hours as chiefs consider changes to the way the service operates.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service's action plan for the next two years reveals a major review is to be carried out which may see the hours firefighters work change, freeing more of them up to do fire prevention work.
At the moment there are four different shifts - blue, red, white and green watches.
They each work two day shifts from 9am to 6pm followed by two nights from 6pm to 9am - and then four days off.
These shift patterns have remained the same since 1979 and fire chiefs believe a review is now needed.
A fire service spokesman said: "A review will be carried out to establish if different duty systems could be adopted with the aim of more closely aligning staffing with activity levels.
"West Yorkshire's call pattern features peaks and troughs.
"The review is a blank sheet of paper at the moment, but we will be looking at having more staff at the peak times and less when things are traditionally quiet.
"The review team will report sometime next year."
The service is on course to reduce all fires by 10% and accidental fire injuries by 20% by 2010 compared to the 2001/2002 figures.
Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase said: "No-one should fool themselves into thinking these kind of achievements are possible without shaking up the system and putting under used resources to better effect.
"It is morally indefensible to ignore what needs to be done simply to avoid making the case for change."
He said 50,000 free home safety checks would be carried out in the county next year and added: "It's an ambitious target unparalleled in the British fire service and shows how determined we are not just to fight fire, but to prevent it happening in the first place by driving unnecessary risks from the home."
