FIREFIGHTERS are being treated like salesman, says a local brigade member.

The fireman, who has asked to remain anonymous, said a scheme to fit smoke detectors and do home safety checks was not working.

Cheshire Fire Service says it's targeting the right areas and firefighters are always available for call outs.

But the fireman said: "We are wasting our time putting some detectors up when we could be fighting fires or speaking to youths.

"We are being treated like salesmen instead of firemen.

"Now we are sat on our backsides while one person is going through a leaflet with someone who is not interested, because they are in the more affluent areas.

"Before, we were going to the areas that really need it. We have got knowledge of where the at-risk places are.

Delayed

"I have got a family in Halton and I know if something happens the engine might be delayed because they are out on these call outs."

Divisional officer, Joe Whelan, said the areas being targeted where those with the highest levels of domestic fires over the last five years.

He said a call centre was employed to phone people in these areas to see if they wanted a free home safety check and to see if an alarm should be installed.

He said the Government-funded scheme had created more than 600 home visits in Widnes already.

"This is managed as a joint initiative between Widnes and Runcorn so that we didn't tie all the Widnes personnel up doing this," he said.

"We also had personnel available to carry out routine training and also while the fire appliance is out it was available to go to a fire anyway."