TALKS are pencilled in for the new year to thrash out an agreement over the pay of on-call firefighters.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service offers a system called Pay for Availability (P4A) for on-call firefighters, and it had been trying to get all its fire stations to agree to use this method.

Around six fire stations were understood to be unsure about moving to it, but just as they were on the verge of agreeing to sign up, the fire service realised it needed to change the terms of the P4A arrangement.

That has prompted a new set of negotiations with fire unions in a bid to try and secure a collective agreement for all of Devon and Somerset’s on-call firefighters.

Christian Grantham, an acting brigade secretary for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in Devon and Somerset, said after the meeting that the union was waiting for a date for negotiations to begin, but expected it to be in January.

Mr Grantham said the FBU would consult with its members once it had discussed the proposed changes with the fire service, and make a decision based on member feedback.

Under P4A, on-call firefighters are paid by the hour for each hour they commit to be available. Depending on their personal circumstances, individuals can choose to be available for anywhere between 30 and 120 hours a week.

Under the scheme, a “competent” firefighter is paid an hourly rate of £3.58 between 8am-6pm and £1.70 from 6pm-8am.

Additional payments are made for attending incidents, drill nights and training courses at an hourly rate of £17.75.

The so-called “traditional” on-call pay scheme involved an annual fee of £4,558 being paid to “development” level firefighters and £5,832 for “competent” ones, paid in monthly increments, with additional pay for any incidents, drill nights and training courses.