Vic firefighters support merged board

Firefighters are backing a proposal to merge Victoria's fire services even though the state government has ruled out bringing the CFA and MFB under one managing board.

The Fire Services Review released on Wednesday made 20 recommendations, with the government accepting all but two of them.

The government has rejected a proposal for a single board overseeing the CFA and MFB with one chief officer as the head of the organisation.

The report's author, former Tasmanian emergency services minister David O'Byrne, believes merging the boards would foster greater co-operation between the two fire services.

But Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett says the organisations are too different to come under one board.

"I have considered this really carefully," she told reporters on Wednesday.

"Smashing together both boards ... is not something I am willing to countenance at this point."

The CFA and MFB also don't want to be merged, Ms Garrett said.

But the United Firefighters Union say its members support being managed by one entity.

"For Victoria it would be the best thing, it would be the best outcome," union official Mick Tisbury told reporters.

"The public don't care what badge we've got, all they care about is when they call triple zero they get the big red fire truck with firefighters as soon as possible."

Mr Tisbury said it doesn't make sense for taxpayers to pay for two boards and two different management structures when the fire agencies carry out the same work.

"MFB and CFA shouldn't have these artificial boundaries," he said.

Opposition to a merged board is motivated by self-preservation from bureaucrats, the union says.

"I have no doubt the boards don't want to merge. Some of them are going to lose their jobs. It's self-interest," Mr Tisbury said.

The union isn't hopeful the review's recommendations will improve the way the state's agencies are run - unless current management changes.

"Whilst those current leaders are still there, I can guarantee you nothing will change," Mr Tisbury said.

CFA boss Lucinda Nolan and MFB chief Jim Higgins have welcomed the report's findings.