Proposed cuts of up to £1.6m has been branded a “reckless” move that poses safety risks to a fire service.
Cost saving measures have been tabled by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, with proposals to cut the number of fire engines at the forefront.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has launched an online petition against these changes, with southern regional chairman Dave Hunt calling for an immediate stop to the cuts.
Speaking during the meeting on Monday, Mr Hunt said: “We’re losing resilience. We’re losing fire engines on a daily basis.
“Can we lobby local government for fair funding that reflects the growing demands on us as a fire and rescue service?
“We urge you please to put safety first and stop these cuts.”
Part of the proposed savings include removing fire engines at stations less frequently used, including Romsey and those further afield in Lymington, Waterlooville, and Petersfield.
Redbridge fire station also faces a reduction of staff as plans to introduce a new specialist rescue vehicle and fire vehicle.
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Some 20 staff could be lost at Redbridge and Cosham stations but the fire service confirmed there will be no redundancies.
Chief fire officer Neil Odin said the fire service needs to effectively manage demand.
“The response times we continue to see are growing, in how long it takes us to get to incidents”, he said.
He added: "We endeavour to get to every call we can as fast as we can so we will keep a close eye on our response.
“The changes we are going through this year will have very little impact on our response times.
“That said, I recognise the FBU’s position. At this time, I don’t believe things we are doing will change.”
But in a statement, the FBU said this is “pushing a service already on its knees into critical failure.”
A spokesperson added that the fire service is “already stretched beyond safe limits.”
“Any renewed wave of austerity poses a serious threat to both firefighters and the public.
“We cannot - and must not - allow further cuts that would knowingly compromise public safety and the ability of firefighters to respond when lives are on the line.”
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