Fire stations to be rebranded

Fire stations in London are to be rebranded under the most comprehensive review of firefighting since the Second World War.

They are to be renamed "fire and community safety centres". To promote fire safety, residents will be encouraged to use them as community centres, while firefighters will visit schools and the elderly.

At the same time, there will be a clampdown on the 10,000 hoax calls received each year, and firefighters will respond to fewer automatic fire alarms, abandoned calls from public phone boxes and suspected gas leaks.

The draft London Safety Plan, launched today by Mayor Ken Livingstone and fire commissioner Ken Knight, will not result in any stations closing, but there are plans to reduce the size of the brigade's workforce. No precise targets have yet been set.

The plan will go out for public consultation until the end of the year.