Scottish Fire and Rescue Service loses 700 firefighters in a decade

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has raised concerns about a drop of more than 700 firefighters over the past decade, warning that cuts are leaving Scotland "less safe".

New figures from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) show the number of whole-time operational firefighters has dropped from 4,159 in 2011/12 to 3,422 in 2023/4, a loss of 737 posts and a record low since the creation of the single force.

Concerns were raised by the FBU about the ability to protect the public following the publication of annual performance statistics.

The number of staff in fire control rooms has also fallen, from 234 to 172 over that period.

Reducing the number of firefighters results in more fire appliances being "off the run" and unable to respond to emergency calls, a situation that is most acute in the retained fire service which serves 80% of Scotland's land mass, including rural and island communities, according to the FBU.

In these areas, the service has lost 344 firefighters in the last decade.

The union also raised concern about the falling number of home fire safety visits - down by 5.1%.

John McKenzie, FBU Scottish secretary, said: "These new performance statistics confirm everything the Fire Brigades Union has been saying since the creation of the single service.

"If you cut the number of operational firefighters, cut the numbers in control rooms, have fewer appliances available and reduce home fire safety visits then it is inevitable that response times increase and the communities and businesses of Scotland become less safe.

"The Scottish Government and the SFRS cannot ignore these realities any more.

"More than a decade of underfunding has resulted in the decline of the service and a reduced capacity to deal with emergency situations.

"We need a credible, year-on-year investment programme that increases the budget for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and ensures that we have the right number of firefighters, trained to the highest standard and with the equipment required to keep the public safe."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Firefighters play a crucial role in keeping communities safe, which is why we are investing £393 million in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service this year - an increase of £29.3 million from the previous year.

"Whilst recruitment is an operational matter for SFRS, we are maintaining frontline services and Scotland continues to have a higher number of firefighters per head of population than other parts of the UK."

The SFRS has been contacted for comment.

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