FIREFIGHTERS could be asked to get involved in missing people rescues and more medical emergencies to provide support to their blue-light colleagues.

The draft Fire and Rescue Plan for Essex is set to go out for consultation in the coming weeks and is likely to include suggestions for extra responsibilities for fire officers who are not attending incidents.

Fire appliances at some stations in the county already respond to cardiac arrest calls or if they are not breathing and have been given training in CPR and how to use defibrillators before paramedics arrive.

Police, fire and crime commissioner Roger Hirst took over the responsibility for Essex Fire and Rescue Service last October.

He now wants to introduce even closer collaboration between the two emergency services alongside the East of England Ambulance Service Trust.

Speaking at a public meeting, Mr Hirst said he wanted to make the absolute best use of resources which were available to him He said: “What I would want to see is full-time or retained firefighters being as busy as they possibly can be without being stretched.

“I would like to see them doing more rescue work with the ambulance service and work more with the police.

“I am never going to ask them to make an arrest or take a statement.

“But more training in first aid could mean we keep more people safe and save more lives.”

Colchester’s High Steward Sir Bob Russell raised concerns about plans to downgrade Dovercourt fire station to an on-call site in 2020.

He said he feared a large-scale incident at Harwich International Port could mean resources are diverted away from Colchester.

Mr Hirst said they were struggling to recruit more retained firefighters in Harwich but said on-call officers were more than capable.

He said: “Retained firefighters do a phenomenal job and two thirds of the county are covered by them.

“What all our teams are doing is some amazing prevention work which has cut the number of fires and that is exactly what we want.

“It is important we have the right mixture of full-time and retained firefighters across the county.”

Sir Bob, who lives close to Colchester’s fire station in Cowdray Avenue, also raised concerns about rumours he had heard suggesting the 80-year-old site may be at risk of closure, but Mr Hirst categorically denied that was the case.

He said: “I don’t know where you have got the idea there is even a question about the presence of the fire and rescue service here in Colchester - there is not.”

Six years ago, chief fire officer David Johnson suggested closing the station and opening one in a less congested location. Greg Keys, the operations manager for the Essex Fire and Rescue Service in the North East of the county, said he was also certain Colchester would remain full-time.

He said: “I have heard no rumours or speculation around that.

“It is always the way there may be discussions around the appropriate place for sites as the size of areas continue expanding and questions will be asked if the fire station is still in the right place.”

Mr Hirst urged all residents to give their feedback and get involved in the consultation when the draft Fire and Rescue Plan is released in the next few weeks.