I WOULD like to respond to firefighter Pug Molloy (You Say, Thursday, July 10).

The issue of body recovery from the River Severn is not a matter for members of the Combined Fire Authority.

It is, quite rightly, an operational issue and a matter for the Chief Fire Officer.

However, because of the recent Press coverage and the concerns raised with me by other councillors and members of the public, I have made some enquiries.

The Hereford and Worcester's Fire Brigade has not and will never refuse to recover bodies from the River Severn or from any other waterway.

However, the brigade have an agreement with West Mercia Constabulary that their control room will, in the first instance, contact the Severn Area Rescue Agency.

They will be asked to respond to such an incident.

If they cannot respond, or are undertaking another rescue, the fire brigade will step in immediately and carry out the work.

This has been a long-standing arrangement that has been followed on a number of occasions.

It is fair to point out that the role and function of firefighters is going to change.

Prevention work and community fire safety is going to be just as an important function for fire brigades as putting out fires and undertaking rescues.

I hope that all firefighters can see the importance of such preventative work and will support the new functions, which the Government is quite rightly asking us to carry out.

RICHARD UDALL,

Chairman of the Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority.