COUNTING the pennies will take on new meaning in Essex, as the county’s fire service battles to help cover the Olympics with no prospect of extra funding.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is one of a number in the country to have applied for more cash to help cover the burden that will be placed on them during the showcase event in 2012.

However, with the exception of London and Dorset, all the fire services have been refused funding.

Gordon Hunter, deputy chief fire officer and director of operations for Essex, explained: “The Government has told us it will be business as usual, and that we should be able to handle the Olympics as part of our day-to-day business.

“Essex has got a major event with the mountain biking at Hadleigh, and Hertfordshire has got the white water rafting, which is right on the border with Essex.

Not withstanding these events themselves, in the lead-up to the Olympics, we are probably going to have training camps here, and the infrastructure to build the games site is being brought through Essex as well.

“The impact on this county, therefore, is significant, and on top of that, I need to ensure I can deliver the daily service the public expects, such as keeping roads open following road traffic collisions and responding to emergencies.”

With the Games due to be hosted over a summer period, Mr Hunter said while good weather would be a bonus for spectators, it would add extra strain on the service.

“Traditionally, if you have a nice hot summer, it becomes one of our busiest times,” he said.

Other factors, such as tourists choosing to stay in Essex rather than London, and travelling fans, will increase the pressure on Essex emergency services, so planning is reaching a vital stage.

At a meeting of the Essex Fire Authority on Wednesday, members will be asked to release money from the service’s reserves to pay for a manager to co-ordinate the planning.

The post will be funded to group manager level, at a cost of £73,933 per year, plus £1,000 IT support costs, for 30 months. At the current salary rate, including annual increases, this would equate to a total cost of £184,732.

Mr Hunter explained: “We asked for funding about 18 months ago and were refused, so I have been managing it by people doing above and beyond the hours required of them.

“It has got to a critical point where we do need this extra person. We have put in another funding bid and business case detailing why we need this extra funding, alongside all the other brigades that have got events in their fire and rescue area.

“If we don’t get the funding, we have no choice: We must ensure we play our part in delivering a safe Olympics.

“We will be asking the fire authority to allow us to fund the post from our reserves. We need this money now to fund the post, whether our latest funding bid is successful or not.”

While the fire service can use reserves to pay for the extra role needed, further demands on resources and funding could ultimately lead to cutbacks in other “non-essential” areas, such as the successful FireBreak scheme.

“I honestly can’t say where money would come from,” said Mr Hunter.

“But if we don’t get funding and can no longer draw on reserves, it could mean taking funding from across the board.

“We would look at the risk critical areas and assess what is vital for safety or risk, and look at where we could reduce funding to the less critical – but still very successful and effective – areas.

“We would always look to try to obtain funding from other groups or sources to replace this.

“It is simply about asking the challenging questions of everything.”

The service has already implemented its own cost-cutting measures over the past five years, including holding telephone conferences with commanders to save on petrol costs.