They're being taught the terminology needed to fight fires at sea, ready for the merger of the two brigades' control rooms in August.

Cambridgeshire Fire Authority is expected to approve final details of the Suffolk-Cambs merger next week.

Suffolk has to move this year following the sale of its Colchester Road site in Ipswich and the cancellation of the regional control centre project planned for Waterbeach, near Ely.

The brigade now plans to move its command centre into Cambridgeshire's control room at Hinchinbrooke, near Huntingdon.

Graham Stagg, Cambridgeshire's chief fire officer, said both Cambridgeshire and Suffolk control operators would need to develop some new ways of working.

'Suffolk consists of areas of coastline and their crews are trained in off-shore fire fighting,' he said.

'This will require Cambridgeshire FRS control operators to learn new mobilising standards and radio procedures and terminology.'

Mr Stagg said the move would have been necessary if the much broader amalgamation had occurred with the now abandoned regional control centres.