Revealed: Firefighter jobs to go across Stafford and Cannock in £480,000 cuts

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority needs to make £4 million in savings by 2020, with staff costs making up 70 per cent of the authorities expenditure.

Plans to lose four firefighter positions in both Stafford and in Cannock by January 2018, leaving each area with a total crew of 24, down from 28, will be discussed at a meeting next week.

It is proposed that the posts will be lost through retirements rather than redundancies and the plans come on the back of sweeping cuts last year that saw more than 40 posts axed as part of a bid to save £1.1 million.

The majority of cuts will affect the Newcastle area, where 20 firefighters will be lost by 2020 if plans are given the go ahead.

A statement attached to a report set to be discussed next week reads: "The reductions identified take advantage of the retirement profile of the whole-time workforce and therefore will avoid the need for any redundancies.

"The changes in the wholetime crewing establishment will not affect the number of wholetime appliances available on a 24/7 basis.

"The number of wholetime appliances available will remain at 10 during day hours and 8 at night."

Director of Response at the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Tim Hyde said, the force is '100 per cent committed' to the safety of residents and firefighters and was adamant the changes will not compromise that.

He said: "As a service we are 100 per cent committed to the safety of our communities and our firefighters and we have always pledged never to cross those two red lines.

"In recent years our focus has moved from being a response-led Service to one where prevention and protection work are at the forefront, meaning fewer incidents occur in the first place.

"Proposed changes to crewing levels will in no way affect the number of whole-time appliances available.

"There will continue to be 10 appliances on the run during the day and eight overnight across the county which is the same as the current level of cover provided.

"The proposed staffing changes have been aligned to the demand profile of the Service so residents can be reassured that their safety will not be compromised in any way.

"They also take the retirement profile of the whole-time workforce into account and there would, therefore, be no need for redundancies if the Fire and Rescue Authority votes to implement this plan."