YEARS of cuts in fire and rescue services in Scotland have left public safety at risk as emergency response times lengthen and fewer fire appliances can be mobilised.

The Fire Brigades Union said (FBU) firefighter numbers are the lowest since eight regional fire brigades merged to form the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in 2013 — down from 4,159 full-time posts to 3,422, a loss of 737 jobs.

The number of control room staff, who take emergency calls and mobilise crews, fell from 234 to 172.

Part-time retained firefighters, who cover 80 per cent of Scotland, including rural and island communities, saw 344 front-line jobs go.
Home fire safety visits fell by more than 5 per cent.

FBU Scottish secretary John McKenzie said: “These new performance statistics confirm everything the FBU 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.”