FIRE Brigade control operators are still refusing to move into the new joint emergency services centre in Devizes.

Despite negotiations between Wiltshire's chief fire officer Neil Wright and the Fire Brigades' Union, fire controllers say they will only move to the new centre if a separate room is provided for them.

Mr Wright is not budging on his offer of a three quarter length glass screen with double doors opening into the rest of the centre, which will be staffed by ambulance and police operators.

Ian Heath, chairman of the Wiltshire branch of the union, said the fire operators' concerns related to noise and health and safety.

He said: "The fire controllers do not think they can do their job properly unless they are in a self-contained room.

"Sometimes, as has already been witnessed this year, they have to talk to people on the phone who are in burning buildings.

"They need the support of their fellow fire controllers when taking these calls and if they were in a room with 30 people from all three emergency services it would be impossible to do their job.

"This would result in the public's health and safety being put at risk."

Sixteen of the 18 fire controllers are in the union and in a recent vote, 12 attended and 11 voted not to go to the new control room until a separate room was provided. The remaining controller abstained.

Mr Heath said the authorities in Cleveland had bowed to the demands of a separate fire control room within a joint emergency services centre.

He said: "Call us old cynics but if a partition is offered who is to say that when the next chief fire officer comes along it won't be ripped down."

Mr Wright said: "The new building is going up and it includes a three-quarter length, eight foot tall thick glass screen with double doors leading into the remainder of the building.

"The original business plan was for an open room but in order to try to break the deadlock I offered a three- quarter length screen and it is incorporated into the business plan.

"I regard it as a separate room. It is a solid partition and it will separate the fire controllers from the other personnel and help with the noise."

Mr Wright said he was encouraged that four fire controllers went to the new building to give feedback on the proposed command and control computer system.

The opening of the new centre in London Road, Devizes, could be put back until next year as the computer system is still being developed. The centre was due to open in December.