We are told firefighters must agree to "modernisation" of their working conditions if they are to receive anything approaching the professional wage they deserve.

What that means is the dismantling of the tried and tested watch system. I have not heard any convincing reasons for doing this.

As far as I can see, the consequences will include firefighters having to work without having rested adequately after a period of night duty.

There will be a disruption to the relationships of trust between members of the same watch and between equivalent watches at neighbouring fire stations, which have been built up over years of working together.

The collective memory of the fire service will be disregarded and fragmented in the way we have seen in the railways, education, local government and many other public services, so many lessons have had to be painfully relearned over and over again.

-Dani Ahrens, Southampton Street, Brighton