Staffordshire fire authority could stop frontline cuts to the local fire and rescue service through a minimal increase in council tax funding of 2.5p a week.
The fire authority has had its allocation of funding from council tax frozen over the past four years and the financial year 2015 – 16 could see the same even though the fire authority will see a budget reduction of £1.7M.
Firefighters in Staffordshire are working with senior management to find ways to continue to provide the current service but insist the fire authority must play their part in continuing to keep the public safe.
Rich Williams, brigade secretary of the FBU in Staffordshire, said: “A minor increase in council tax of 1.95% would put £420,000 back into the fire and rescue service meaning frontline cuts could be avoided.
“Cutting fire and rescue services put the lives of both the public and firefighters in Staffordshire at risk.
“These cuts, that can be avoided, would see fire engines replaced with smaller vehicles carrying less equipment and unable to deal with as many incidents as well as increasing 999 emergency response times as firefighter jobs are slashed.
“Cuts are a choice.”
