STRATHCLYDE Fire and Rescue could save money by reducing their crew levels in line with services in the rest of the UK, a report has revealed.
The force, which has above average operating costs per head of population, currently uses two crews of five firefighters when attending incidents, compared with services in the rest of the country which use crews of five and four.
A report by the Accounts Commission claims changes to this could offer future savings, but Strathclyde Fire and Rescue says the system is important for firefighter and public safety.
The report states: "Given that no other Scottish or UK fire and rescue service operate with crewing levels of five and five, this is an area that may offer savings."
Brian Sweeney, SFR Chief Officer, said he believes five and five crewing offers "benefits in terms of crew coverage, flexibility and cost savings".
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