Fire engines unavailable more than 6,000 times in 2022, figures show
Scottish Labour says the "bombshell" statistics should act as a "wake-up call" to ministers
Fire engines were unavailable to firefighters more than 6,000 times in 2022, a 138% increase on pre-pandemic years, figures show.
Scottish Labour, which obtained the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) data, said the "bombshell" statistics should act as a "wake-up call" to ministers.
Whole-time fire appliances were "off the run" - or unavailable - 6,272 times last year, compared to 2,639 occasions in 2019.
Meanwhile, figures show retained duty system appliances available for on-call firefighters were unavailable over 112,000 times in 2022, compared to just over 95,000 in 2019.
Earlier this month, Katy Clark, Scottish Labour's community safety spokeswoman, wrote to ministers to demand an emergency rescue plan for the SFRS.
On the latest figures, Ms Clark said: "These dramatic statistics are just the latest example of the deep impact that a decade of cuts has had on Scotland's fire and rescue service.
"Response times have worsened, stations are in disrepair and hundreds of jobs have been lost.
“Now we are seeing vital appliances withdrawn across the country, even though data suggests appliances are already being frequently unavailable, whether it be due to mechanical defects or staffing issues.
"Staggeringly, the Scottish Government's Programme for Government does not even mention the massive challenges firefighters are facing, even in light of hundreds of them making their voices heard at a mass rally in Glasgow earlier this month.
"These cuts are having serious consequences and are making firefighters, who put their lives on the line, and the wider public less safe.
"This latest bombshell must be a wake-up call. Ministers must not ignore warnings and finally come forward with an emergency plan to save this lifeline service."
It comes as SFRS chief officer Ross Haggart warned a Holyrood committee of significant financial pressures facing the service – it may have to the withdraw 18 appliances to help make savings of between £14 million and £26 million next year.
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “The total of appliances, fire stations and crews has been largely maintained over the last decade, during which we have seen a large reduction in domestic fires.
Scotland continues to have higher numbers of fire fighters than elsewhere in the UK, with 11 officers per 10,000 population in Scotland, compared to six in England and eight in Wales, protecting front line services.
"Since 2017-18 there have been substantial year on year increases in funding, with the equivalent annual budget for SFRS for 2023-24 being £55.3 million higher than it was in 2017-18."
The latest figures do not include Perth, Kinross or Angus as the system used to record retained duty service does not record off the run data.