Scottish fire service cuts and station closures could cost lives, says union

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned that closing up to a dozen stations in Scotland could “cost lives”.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Services (SFRS) is proposing to close up to 13 stations and introduce new arrangements for night and weekend cover.

Five city fire stations – two in Edinburgh, two in Glasgow and one in Dundee – had been identified as potential closures or mergers because of low demand, or because they are close to other facilities that SFRS said could provide effective cover.

The service set out 23 different options for change across Scotland, which it says is needed to match staff, stations and resources to “operational risk and demand”.

The proposals, which cover 14 different local authorities and involve more than 30 fire stations, also include plans to repair or rebuild stations in some areas.

Some staff and vehicles could also be transferred to “more effective” locations.

The service said eight stations slated for closure have been “long-dormant” due to recruitment difficulties for on-call firefighters in rural locations.

Proposals also include implementing a daily shift pattern for firefighters in some areas, supported by on-call firefighters outwith these times.

The creation of a “nucleus crew” in two locations – Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire – is also being proposed which could be deployed “tactically”.

Permanent solutions are also being proposed following the temporary withdrawal of ten appliances in 2023, including in Perth and Kinross, Fife, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Glasgow.

The consultation will remain open for 12 weeks, with the SFRS saying it wants “as many people as possible” to submit their views on the proposed changes.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the service is “already on its knees” after a decade of what it calls real-terms cuts.

FBU Scottish secretary John McKenzie said: “Our members and the Scottish public have suffered more than enough cuts to the fire service.

“For over a decade, real-terms budget cuts have increased risks to public safety, with firefighter numbers slashed and response times increasing as a result.

“The service is already on its knees because of these cuts. That has led to increases in response times and when this time is lost, tragically lives will also be lost.

“This is unacceptable and any proposals to further compromise our service and public safety must be rejected.

“What we need instead is more, not less, investment that takes into account new and emerging threats that our services and our members are having to deal with on a day-to-day basis.

“We need funding that enhances and improves public safety rather than worsening it.”

The SFRS said any changes would only be made if they ensured safety.

Stuart Stevens, SFRS chief officer, said: “I absolutely recognise the concerns that people will have because these are significant changes that we’re proposing, but let me be clear – any changes we will make will only be done if it ensures the safety of the community of Scotland.

“This is a really important step for the organisation to make sure that the service is fit for Scotland’s future.”

The Scottish Government’s community safety minister Siobhian Brown said: “The emergencies the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) responds to have changed, with fewer house fires and more wildfire and flooding incidents.

“It is right, then, that the service considers how to adapt to the changing risks to remain effective and efficient, with firefighters in the right place at the right time to ensure people and communities are protected.”

She urged people to take part in the consultation “so their voices are heard”, but stressed: “As ever, keeping communities safe will remain the SFRS’s top priority, supported by substantial year-on-year budget increases from the Scottish Government.”