Anas Sarwar accused of 'inaccurate' information over lack of fire fighting resources

Anas Sarwar has been accused of sharing “inaccurate and alarmist” information after suggesting fire crews were inadequately equipped to deal with the major blaze on Union Street.

The Scottish Labour leader called for John Swinney to immediately investigate the impact a reduction in high-reach appliances (HRA) had on the outcome of the incident.

Sarwar accused the SNP of putting firefighters at risk by cutting the number of specialist appliances that can tackle fires or rescue from heights.

A decision was taken to reduce the number of HRAs from 26 to 16 in 2023, removing older vehicles which cost more to maintain and reducing a financial backlog for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Some HRAs were replaced by standard appliances while others were removed if another was within a reasonable distance.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Sarwar said it was believed that both HRAs based in Glasgow were unavailable when the fire broke out due to annual inspection, and that one had to be called from Edinburgh.

He added: “Sunday is a reminder of what these men and women put at stake when they go to work. We don’t know right now what difference the reduction would’ve made, but will John Swinney commit to an immediate investigation into any potential impact this may have had on the response, so lessons can be urgently learned?”

Responding to the claims, assistance chief officer Davie Farries said the service “strongly refutes” any suggestion that it did not have the necessary resources to respond to the building fire.

He stated that “significant resources” were committed to tackle the blaze, with a high-reach appliance from Coatbridge mobilised and on scene within 19 minutes.

“Ultimately, it was not required for external firefighting operations until almost two hours later”, he added.

“This was supplemented by vehicles from Johnstone and Kilmarnock at the request of the incident commander.

“To be clear, high-reach appliances are national resources that are placed strategically across Scotland. It is both inaccurate and alarmist to suggest that the provision of our fleet of high-reach appliances had any negative impact on our operational response to this incident.

“I am immensely proud of the efforts of our crews who worked tirelessly in challenging conditions in responding to this fire. This includes efforts to prevent and limit further damage to nearby buildings, including Glasgow Central train station and hotel.

“Incidents of this scale require staff and appliances to be drawn from across wider areas, a benefit of having a national service. SFRS maintains the ability to mobilise a range of resources to emergencies when required across Scotland, while always maintaining strategic cover.”

Close to 300 firefighters have been involved in tackling the incident over the course of four days.

At its height, 18 fire appliances and specialist resources attended the fire, and no injuries have been reported.

SFRS has now handed over control of the site to Glasgow City Council.

Assistant chief officer Jon Henderson, SFRS Director of Prevention, said on Thursday: “This was an incredibly challenging and complex incident which called upon resources and expertise from across the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“We are extremely proud of our staff and incredibly thankful to our partners for helping to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.

“Despite the scale and intensity of this fire, no firefighters or members of the public were hurt, and some of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings were saved from further damage.

Throughout the incident, firefighters were supported with food, drinks and offers of support from the local business community and Glasgow residents.

ACO Henderson added: “The impact of this incident on the Glasgow community is enormous, and we are extremely grateful for the patience and generosity shown to our partners and us at the scene throughout.”