Jobs and lives could be lost if the Government goes ahead with plans to merge emergency-service control rooms, it was claimed today.

The Home Office's Fire Service Control Rooms and Communications report calls for a reduction of control rooms in England and Wales from 49 to 21.

Ultimately, all fire control would merge with police and ambulance control centres.

Control rooms in East and West Sussex fire brigades would merge, possibly with Surrey, and the Fire Brigades Union fears more than 60 jobs could be lost locally.

But that is not the union's greatest fear. Ian Smith, the union's regional control representative, said: "Emergency fire control personnel are highly trained, skilled operators and are the first people to deal with an incident.

"They receive 999 calls, extract information on the fire location from distressed callers and then deploy the necessary appliances.

"Without their expertise, many lives would be lost."

Mr Smith, who is based at the East Sussex brigade headquarters in Lewes, said fire, police and ambulance control rooms currently have their own group of workers with specialist knowledge specific to each emergency service.

"Merging them would not only diminish the skills-base of all operators, but, more importantly, would diminish the standard of service we provide to the communities we serve."

The union, which fears at least 500 brigade jobs would be lost nationally.

The Trades Union Congress has backed a Fire Brigades Union saying the mergers "would undermine the true concept of best value and also the safety of the public and emergency service workers."

East Sussex fire chief Alan McCormack said no one liked change and there were similar fears expressed when smaller control rooms, including those in Brighton, Hastings and Eastbourne, were merged into one in 1974. But, he said, there was no evidence of poorer performance or service to the public afterwards.

He said information on a possible merger was being gathered.

It is expected to be ready at Christmas and is likely be presented to the East Sussex fire authority in February.