MERSEYSIDE Fire Authority will cut 173 jobs over the next two years – but has frozen its council tax demands for 2011/12.
The number of firefighters will be cut by 10%, meaning the total loss of 92 frontline jobs.
A further 81.5 support and management roles will be cut, representing a 20% reduction in staff numbers.
The Authority said it hoped to avoid any compulsory redundancies, with firefighter job losses based on not replacing staff when they retired.
A voluntary severance package will be offered to all non-uniformed staff.
The Authority blamed “drastic cuts” from central government for the “tough choices” it had to make.
Despite the job losses it said it could maintain its frontline response service in Merseyside – for now.
But it warned that much worse could be to come as it faces huge cuts in funding from 2013 that could jeopardise public safety.
The job losses announced yesterday will allow the authority to cut £9m from its budget over the next two years.
Staff will also face a three- year pay freeze.
These cuts are to meet a 13% reduction in the grant from central government, which the authority said was the worst in the country.
