Peter Martin's response (Letters, October 17) to my letter (October 13) concerning the proposed changes to Shoreham Fire Station accuses me of being "disingenuous".

If attempting to reduce death and injury from fire in the Shoreham area is disingenuous, then I admit I am.

Mr Martin falls into the trap of concentrating on the emotive argument of supposed fire-cover "cuts" but fails to recognise the underlying arguments my proposals are based on: Early warning and fire education will save lives.

He asked me to correct him if he was wrong over whether the majority of fire deaths occur at night - "exactly the time when you're proposing to reduce the effectiveness of fire cover", he wrote.

The Government's latest fire statistics show 72 per cent of residential fire injuries and deaths were between 6am and midnight.

The report also notes that the night-time casualty rate shows the victims of fires don't know when the fires started, which is why we are placing greater resources on fire alarms and on stopping fires happening in the first instance.

With regard to the proposed expansion of the South-East's housing, this would not conflict with our proposals, as all new houses are required to have fixed fire alarms as part of their building consent.

The changes we propose put full-time firefighters in Shoreham Fire Station when they are needed, especially at night. Even outside these times, retained firefighters would still respond to and deal with an emergency.

As we all do, Mr Martin pays his council tax for the most effective and efficient services available. These initiatives will provide just that.

If Mr Martin, or any other reader, requires further information on our proposals, we will be holding a public consultation day at the station shortly.

-Martin Burrell, county fire officer, West Sussex County Council Fire and Rescue Service