Clare fire fighters say morale is low within the service, following the adoption of a new operations plan for the local force.
SIPTU has claimed that the five year strategy will reduce the minimum number of fire personnel on crews, but the head of Clare's fire service has moved to downplay concerns.
The Fire And Emergency Operations Plan for Clare was unanimously passed by Clare County Councillors this week, in tandem with changes to national policy in the area.
Amongst it's changes will be an raise in the number of fire fighters in Shannon, from 12 to 15, and a reduction of one each in Killaloe and Kilkee.
The net increase of one comes at a time when Council staff generally have fallen amid budget cutbacks.
Councillors say they don't envisage any major changes as a result of the plan, while the county's Chief Fire Officer Adrian Kelly also says it means no changes to the number of stations here at this point in time.
However, fire fighters locally have expressed anger and dismay with crew levels a contentious issue.
They fear that new national guidelines, on which the local strategy is based, could see four fire fighters man an appliance, as opposed to the current level of six.
This, it's claimed, could lead to a potentially dangerous situation for fire crews and the public, particularly at times when the service is stretched.
However, Adrian Kelly insists that a close scrutiny of the plan for Clare shows fire crews here will still be supported
