Firefighters said lives would be at risk after they were left £200,000 short of the money they said they needed.

They may refuse to attend some rescue tasks which do not fall into their official duties because they feel they are lacking adequate training and equipment.

They could also cut back on community safety programmes aimed at reducing fires and saving lives.

East Sussex Fire Brigade was given a £26.766 million budget after the annual meeting of the East Sussex Combined Fire Authority - a seven per cent rise on last year's funding which will be levied from Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council.

The increase was agreed to meet the costs of a new £17,000 water safety strategy in the wake of last year's floods during which the brigade suffered uninsured losses of £276,000 as they rescued scores of people stranded or flooded. Another £100,000 will be spent on equipment.

Crews will get lifejackets, dry suits to allow them to stay in cold water longer, and throw-lines which float.

Firefighters told the authority their lives were in danger as they went into last year's floods without vital equipment, not even a boat.

The fire brigade will also buy new operational fire clothing conforming to new health and safety regulations.

Des Prichard, chief fire officer at East Sussex Fire Brigade, wanted £200,000 more to pay for more staff, equipment, and training for his crews.

He said more demands are being placed on the service as the Government expects them to take on more responsibility for wider issues of community safety.

This includes tackling the root of the cause of fire, such as fires resulting from arson and the deliberate burning of stolen cars, both of which are on the increase.

Mr Prichard said his staff are being put under increased pressure to look after the public's safety yet have not been given the funding to support that role.

He said crews are expected to attend a rising number of special services calls such as rescuing people from traffic accidents and saving people stranded on cliffs.

He said the funding will not cover the training needed to deliver these increasing duties nor will it allow him to buy vital equipment such as new thermal imaging cameras and new communication headsets.

Jim Parrott, Fire Brigades Union representative for East Sussex, said: "We are putting firefighters' lives at risk. The public will be less protected.

"We are not getting the staff or the training.

"In accidents, we are going blind to a lot of modern cars and we have had no training even in the basics like how the seat belts come out.

"In floodings, we got some equipment but we are putting firefighters into the water without training.

"We are lucky the floods did not kill a firefighter last year."