LIVES are being put at risk by "under-crewed" fire engines, a firefighter has warned.
Information obtained by the Advertiser shows Leatherhead fire crews were short staffed on almost half their shifts between January and November last year – and short-handed crews are advised not to enter burning buildings.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Authority's Public Safety Plan states there should be five staff on every appliance in all but "exceptional" circumstances, but Leatherhead Fire Station teams were undermanned 352 times – 48.8 per cent of shifts – during the 11-month period.
A serving east Surrey firefighter said short-staffed crews face a very difficult decision when they arrive at burning buildings. "The brigade says you should wait for a second pump before going in," he said.
"But what if you have got someone hanging out of a window or people trapped inside?
"Realistically, we shouldn't commit a crew; we are risking firefighters' lives to go in when there are only four of us, but your human instinct is to go in.
"There is a massive difference between having four or five people."
The firefighter, who is a member of the Fire Brigades Union, said a recruitment freeze means four-person crews are becoming the norm.
"The really worrying thing is that this is only going to get worse," he said.
"We should be riding five on every pump. Fewer is dangerous."
Surrey Fire and Rescue Authority's Public Safety Plan states: "With five firefighters crewing a fire engine, we are able to undertake a much wider range of emergency response activities than with a crew of four.
"This does not mean that on occasions we will not crew fire engines with four firefighters. However, this will only be on exceptional occasions."
The statistics – obtained by the Advertiser using the Freedom of Information Act – also show the station was undermanned 39.7 per cent of the time in 2011, and 52.2 per cent in 2010.
Fire authority spokeswoman Joy Ridley said: "Our intention is to crew all fire engines with five firefighters.
"We aim to achieve this by 2020 as it requires a significant amount of change in terms of station locations and crewing systems.
"However, crewing appliances with four firefighters is safe as the crew's activity is managed according to the risks faced.
"For example, house fires are routinely attended by two fire engines, in other words at least eight and up to 12 firefighters are on the scene."