Ministers have written to thousands of firefighters, urging them to give up their life-saving jobs and take up HGV driving.
The Government already faced fury for sending letters to ambulance paramedics, offering "fantastic opportunities", "attractive pay rates" and "flexible hours" in a bid to solve the lorry drivers shortage and save Christmas.
Now the Mirror has learned serving firefighters have received letters from transport minister Baroness Vere, trying to tempt them to take up lorry driving.
It comes as the ongoing driver shortage crisis stoked fears about the deliveries of food and fuel across the country.
A Road Haulage Association (RHA) survey of its members estimates there is now a shortage of more than 100,000 qualified drivers in the UK.
It’s understood the Department for Transport (DfT) sent the letter out to more than a million holders of the class C driving licence in recent days - which includes fire engine and ambulance drivers and refuse collectors.
Firefighters are required to hold a category C licence in order to drive the 10.5 metre, 12 tonne fire engines.
The Mirror understands more than half of officers in some stations are trained for the test by their Fire Brigade as part of their career development.
One serving firefighter told the Mirror: “I was quite shocked that they sent them out to everyone who's got a licence to be honest, and didn't check the profession they're in.”
The letter tells hero drivers: "There has never been a better time to find the type of HGV driving job you want."
Yesterday it emerged the letters had also gone out to serving paramedics, who drive ambulances
A DfT spokesperson said: “We categorically don’t want emergency service drivers to change jobs, or to be diverted from their vital work.
“The letter was automatically sent to almost one million people with lorry licences, and it was impossible to narrow the copy-list by profession.”
