Fire service reforms proposed by the government and enacted by the armed forces have helped provide "efficient and effective" cover during the firefighters' strike, a report claimed today.
The findings of the Cobra committee - which coordinates responses to national emergencies - state that the armed forces have provided adequate fire cover and minimised economic disruption during the ongoing industrial dispute.
Although 12 people died during the eight-day strike, the report claims that this is no higher than would be expected for an equivalent strike-free period.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) was unavailable for comment on the report.
A spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said: "The armed forces have coped very well. Nobody is saying that the service provided by the firefighters can be replicated but the military is operating well within its capacity."
The Cobra committee report states: "Assisted by the police ... armed forces personnel and working firefighters were together able to attend all calls allocated to them, including a very large majority where there was no threat to life."
The Cobra report said that joint control rooms operated by the military and the police have worked well, fielding over 30,000 calls. Overall, the armed forces and police dealt with 12,000 incidents.
Defence officials say they are now considering changing shift patterns to reduce the number of personnel on duty overnight in future stoppages.
This measure is a central part of the "modernisation" proposals demanded by the government and is vigorously opposed by the FBU, who argue that cutting staffing levels during that period would put people at greater risk of dying in fires.
Earlier today, the FBU said most people were injured or died in house fires between 10pm and 8am and argued it was imperative that night-time staffing levels were not cut.
John McGhee, spokesman for the FBU, said: "We have never refused to negotiate on modernisation."
The report details 57 injuries to police officers and armed forces personnel, ranging from smoke inhalation to broken arms. It also highlights the facts that firefighters left picket lines to help tackle blazes on a number of occasions and there were few problems related to picketing.
Overall, the report claims, the effect on the UK economy was "very limited". It states: "Business and industrial life were largely unaffected. Mainline and sub-surface rail, road and air travel networks all operated largely as normal. The London Underground was able to run 97% of scheduled services, very much in line with normal operation, although up to 22 deep stations had to be closed.
"Cross-channel services, including the tunnel, operated as normal. Sporting, leisure and entertainment facilities were largely unaffected."
The local government minister, Nick Raynsford, said: "The evidence of the last eight days shows that key elements of modernisation are very obvious, common sense matters like joint control rooms" between the emergency services.
He added that fresh strikes would be "foolish and foolhardy".
