AS the longest period of strike action in the ongoing firefighters’ dispute starts today, bosses at West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service have revealed that false alarm calls have been a “real burden” during previous walkouts.

It has also warned that the service and public will be left in a “vulnerable position” when firefighters strike for four days from 6pm.

The brigade will provide emergency cover using a combination of staff not involved in the action, which centres on a dispute over pensions and retirement age, and specially-trained stand-ins. It says many of the false alarms were due to faults with detectors which go straight through to the brigade’s control centre.

Area manager for fire safety Ian Bitcon said: “During the same four days last year we recorded almost 150 false alarm call-outs. This accounted for around half of the total call-outs received.

“People should be aware that their false alarm could mean our limited fire engines are not available elsewhere in a real emergency." We are appealing to people to do their bit ahead of the strike to prevent them.”

False alarms can be caused by cooking, insects getting inside detectors or dust building up.

Meanwhile, the Government has been accused of showing “contempt” for public sector workers by TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady , who added: “Evidence warns that raising the normal retirement age for firefighters would lead to older fighters facing no job and no pension after years of good service.”

And the Fire Brigades Union has hit back at Government statements that firefighters will continue to receive one of the best pension packages of any worker.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: “We have a Government of millionaires who are wrecking the pensions of firefighters and other public sector workers while the real scandal is that their own pensions are by far the most generous anywhere in the public sector.”

The Government has confirmed its plans to reform firefighters’ pensions, saying the scheme has been refined in response to consultations.