Scottish Labour call for emergency plans after cuts to fire services

The party says the cuts will put lives at risk

Author: Molly TulettPublished 21st Aug 2023

Scottish Labour are calling on the government to put an emergency plan in place following cuts to fire service funding.

It comes as the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) plans to hold a rally in Glasgow’s George Square on Thursday 24 August to protest the latest savings made by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The reductions will see second or third appliances being withdrawn from ten Scottish stations next month as part of an £11m package of cuts.

Scottish Labour spokesperson for Community Safety, Katy Clark MSP, said: “A decade of cuts has hollowed out our fire service, with response times worsening, stations in disrepair and hundreds of jobs lost.

£11m of cuts will see appliances withdrawn

“The combination of withdrawn appliances, understaffing and a dilapidated estate means firefighters, who put their lives on the line and are already exposed to dangerous fire contaminants in their job, are being put seriously at risk.

“Ultimately, that also puts our communities at risk, with response time per incident increasing by 14 per cent in the past ten years.”

Over 1,000 firefighter jobs have been lost in the last 10 years.

Meanwhile, research by the party found nearly half of the stations across the country have been assessed as being in “bad” or “poor” condition.

Half of stations assessed as "bad" or "poor" condition

The MSP added: “Scottish Labour’s message is that enough is enough. These latest cuts should be revoked and the Scottish Government must come forward with an emergency plan to save our fire service.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is a vital service which is why, despite difficult financial circumstances due to UK Government austerity, we are providing it with more than £368 million this year, an increase of £14.4 million on 2023/23.

"We are also maintaining front-line services, with a higher number of firefighters in Scotland than other parts of the UK and we are pleased firefighters have also recently accepted an improved pay offer.”

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