A Dundee United fan from Carnoustie says he is “honoured and privileged” to be put in charge of Scotland’s national fire service.
Ross Haggart has held a range of roles at fire stations across Tayside and Fife since he joined as a fresh-faced 20-year-old in 1994.
Now he has been appointed as chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) – where bosses describe him as an “exceptional leader and respected fire officer”.
In his only interview since taking the top job, he has told The Courier about his toughest day at work, how staff are coping after the death of a Fife colleague and how he has responded to claims of sexism and racism in other forces.
He said: “I am honoured and privileged to be the chief officer, and it is a fantastic opportunity to develop my priorities with the organisation in the future.”
Who is Ross Haggart?
Ross, 48, was raised in Carnoustie and attended Kinloch Primary and Carnoustie High School.
He was a member of the Boys’ Brigade in the town throughout his childhood and played football, both for the BB and in Sunday league.
After leaving school, Ross studied chemistry at Dundee University.
He says he grew up with an admiration for the emergency services, but it was not until he left uni after two years – realising he did not want a career in science – that he pursued this interest.
Following training in Gullane, Ross became a firefighter in Kirkcaldy in 1994 and then Dundee.
He was soon put in charge of Balmossie station before moving to Blackness Road.
In 2006 Ross moved to Perth, taking over as watch commander at the community fire station.
He has since served in a number of senior roles in the service including deputy chief officer.
Ross was named interim chief officer last July, when his predecessor Martin Blunden stepped down over allegations of bullying, before being formally appointed to the role full-time in March.
He lives in Perth and shares two daughters – Brooke, 18, and Robyn, 16 – with his wife Debbie, who is a teacher at Bertha Park High School.
Outside of work he likes to do weight training and enjoys the occasional game of golf – as well as keeping busy at home with a spot of DIY.
He says he does not get to many United games due to his commitments but still keeps an eye on their results.
His mum and dad – Val and Gibby – still live in Carnoustie.
Biggest challenge as fire chief
Ross says the biggest challenge facing him in his new role is money – with warnings last year that lives could be at risk due to a lack of funding.
He said: “The most pressing challenge we face is the immediate financial landscape.
“The Scottish Government has given us an extra £10 million over and above the flat cash for this financial year, and we are extremely grateful for that additional support, but we still have financial challenges moving forward.
“We have got to make sure that we continue to provide excellent services to the communities of Scotland within a period of greater financial challenges.”
Stonehaven train crash
Ross is no stranger to handling difficult situations.
One of his most memorable but harrowing days on the job came in August 2020 when a ScotRail train crashed off the tracks near Stonehaven, killing three people.
He was the principal officer on duty that day.
He said: “It is probably the most significant and high-profile incident that I’ve attended in recent times.
“Rail incidents are the sort of incidents that we don’t attend often, thankfully.
“It was a complex and challenging incident, but our staff on scene worked tirelessly and worked very well with the other emergency services.”
Firefighters’ sexism and racism claims
Ross’s chat with The Courier comes just days after evidence came to light of bullying, harassment and discrimination in fire and rescue services in England.
Cases described in the new report include male firefighters telling a colleague they would rape her, and a senior officer using a racial slur.
The report did not cover Scotland, but asked whether he is concerned such a culture exists in his own organisation, Ross said: “Frankly, the behaviours that are contained within the report have absolutely no place in the SFRS.
“I believe that the vast majority of the people who work for the SFRS do live by our values, however in any large organisation there are always going to be behaviours that fall short of our values.
“Where we are made aware of those behaviours, we will investigate the circumstances fully and we will take appropriate action.”
He is also reviewing how staff can raise concerns with bosses.
Death of Barry Martin
Ross was leading the fire service when Rosyth firefighter Barry Martin died after tackling a blaze at the former Jenners store in Edinburgh in January.
He says the incident was a stark reminder of the “inherently dangerous” job his staff do.
He said: “Clearly, the principal impact has been on Barry’s family, friends and close colleagues, but it has had a significant impact upon the organisation.
“We continue to do all that we can to support everyone within the organisation who has been impacted by Barry’s tragic passing away.”
Ross says protecting the physical and mental wellbeing of staff is one of his three key priorities in his new role.
He is also committed to “continuing to deliver excellent services to the communities of Scotland” and ensuring there is an “organisational culture that means all staff feel welcome within the SFRS, irrespective of their background”.
