The Norbiton-based Fire Brigades Union says numbers have reached a new low since the beginning of austerity in 2010.
General Secretary Matt Wrack says “households deserve to feel protected” and the cuts are “weakening the day-to-day work” of the service.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson says the Mayor has committed to safeguarding their budget.
A Home Office Spokesperson says the government has “consistently” given them the resources they need, including £2.3bn last year.
Full statements:
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Our fire cover is planned on a London-wide basis and we use careful modelling data to ensure we maintain our robust operational resilience to respond to fires of all scales and to a large range of other types of incidents across the capital. The Mayor has committed to safeguarding LFB’s budget and prioritising frontline services.
“If staff or fire engines at a particular station are unavailable for any reason, we allocate resources from elsewhere to provide cover based on staff numbers. This happens daily while crews are dealing with an emergency, carrying out community safety work or training away from their station.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Firefighters work tirelessly every day to protect our communities and the government has consistently given them the resources they need to keep people safe.
“In the last year, nearly 3,000 new firefighters have been recruited across the country and the Government has invested £2.3bn to support their lifesaving work.”
