Planned cuts have shattered Essex Fire and Rescue Service morale and could lead to more incident deaths, it has been claimed.

In Epping Forest, Loughton station is set to lose one of two fire engines and Waltham Abbey station could change from a ‘day crewed’ unit to on-call, normally reserved for evenings and weekends.

The changes are being considered as the service seeks to make drastic cuts of between £6.4 million and £10 million, with funding drops coming annually between now and 2020.

Removing an engine from Loughton could increase response times to fires and accidents, said Essex Fire Brigades Union secretary Alan Chinn-Shaw.

“Without a doubt it will put people at risk,” he said.

“If you have to wait longer, it puts greater risk on the community, the individual and the firefighter.

“We will be turning up with one appliance, not two.

“We need two appliances with eight or nine firefighters to effectively enter a building.”

He added: “Leading to more deaths is a very possible outcome… we are concerned that the people being rescued will not be rescued in the future.”

The planned cuts – which are expected to be announced in June after consultation responses are analysed – have combined with uncertainty about job futures to create a “despondent” atmosphere, a long-serving firefighter said.

“The morale and confidence is probably the lowest it has even been,” said the firefighter, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his job.

“It does not look good for the future of the fire service.

“It has come to a point in my career where I am constantly hearing all this news and hearsay.

“You sort of switch off - I turn up, do my hours and then walk away.”

He said removing an engine from Loughton will create “overwhelming pressure” on any crew that does respond to an incident in the area, as it will have to wait for potentially more than 10 minutes for support from a station such as Woodford Green or Harlow.

He added: “That is going to be a big thing, that is playing on a lot of officer’s minds.”

An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman claimed “sophisticated modelling” will ensure response times stay within target.

“In the last ten years in Epping and Loughton, as with everywhere else in the county, we have seen the number of incidents the service attends reduce by nearly half.

“The three options for change all balance our ability to respond to emergencies with vital protection work, while ensuring we remain financially viable.

“An extra £3 million will be invested in fire safety, a key reason why the number of incidents we attend has reduced.”

The service will analyse consultation responses and present them to the Essex Fire Authority for a decision in June.