The planned HS2 high speed rail link between London and Birmingham could see firefighters moved from their Nechells headquarters, less than five years after the fire service moved there.

The HS2 company has announced its intention to compulsory purchase the 150-space car park and rear yard of the West Midlands Fire Service HQ in Vauxhall Road, and the fire service has warned that this will have a serious impact on vehicle access to essential equipment, the operational warehouse and distribution centre.

Now the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority is calling for the whole site to be compulsory purchased, to allow a new headquarters to be built in a different location.

John Edwards, chairman of the authority, said: "We’re not talking about just any business here.

"Our building is the nerve-centre of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service and houses our vital control centre which mobilises fire appliances for the whole of the West Midlands and will soon mobilise for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent as well.

"HS2 has to recognise this and enable an orderly relocation for us given that their planned actions will render our HQ unfit for purpose."

Phil Loach, Chief Fire Officer, added: "In no way should this have any affect to the services we provide to our communities. This is of great concern to us and we urge representatives of HS2 to reconsider and compulsory purchase the whole site."

The purpose-built centre, including Safeside building which contains a realistic street scene for training exercises, has been open for less than five years, opening in April 2009.

Previously WMFS had been based at Lancaster Circus since 1935.