JIM SPENCE: Dangerous cuts to Dundee and Fife fire services tell you a lot about those in power

The dangerous cuts to fire services in Dundee and Fife are proof that those in power know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

They’re prepared to put our lives at risk to plug a financial gap of £11 million pounds despite the Scottish government having squandered hundreds of times that amount on various ill thought out schemes and vanity projects in 16 years in power.

The issue with cuts to the emergency services is we never need them until we need them.

And we never know when we’ll need them.

But when we slash their capabilities to do their very dangerous jobs we will quickly discover that minutes and seconds count when it comes to saving lives.

‘Why I’m outraged at cuts’

The Fire Brigades Union secretary in Dundee has said these cuts will affect response times and put crews and communities at risk.

On Sunday I was sitting enjoying a beer in the garden when I noticed the first plume of smoke wafting overhead.

Within minutes it was clear that a conflagration was threatening.

The woodland blaze was just across the field from my house in Birkhill and the fire brigade battled it for four hours to bring it under control as it raged only yards from the nearby bowling club.

That was too near the knuckle for me and it could be any of us tomorrow, caught in a house fire in the sma hours, choking in the darkness in a fugue of acrid smoke, praying the neighbours are awake to alert the brigade, and hoping that the loss of vital appliances doesn’t end in disaster for us and our families.

That’s why I’m outraged at these cuts.

As The Courier reported, the Kingsway East station has been left with just one appliance after a second one and its crew were removed to save money.

What price do we put on human life?

The men and women of the fire service put their lives on the line for us every time they get a shout.

None of us can imagine the perils they face rushing into burning buildings and blazes to save lives and property, and they frequently have to do so armed with little or no information of the jeopardy they’re about to face.

And now we thank them by slashing their capability to do the job they train constantly for and weaken their morale to breaking point.

Find money from Holyrood pet projects

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service say it’s a temporary measure to plug an £11m budget gap.

I say let’s find that money from some of the pet projects that Holyrood has squandered millions on.

The Labour party recently accused the SNP of wasting £3.7 billion of public money on what they called 16 years of failure.

From £700 million pounds frittered on a separate social security agency, to millions lavished on the Ferries fiasco, our money has been recklessly abused.

Now when funds are needed for an essential service, hazardous cutbacks are unveiled.

The problem with fire is it can strike anywhere anytime and if we’re left without sufficient capacity to meet several blazes at one time, tragedy threatens.

I spoke to a mate last week who’s a firefighter.

He said he wouldn’t advise anyone to go into the job these days.

We know money is tight everywhere but there are some areas which should be sacrosanct and the fire service is one.

The sheer effrontery and gall of those in power stripping our fire service to levels which put us all at risk is nauseating.

The Scottish Government need to fix this mess before lives are needlessly lost.

United fan boost

In more than 30 years covering football I realise the word ‘fan’ covers a multitude of sins.

It can’t possibly fit the many and varied individuals and myriad opinions which comprise the crowd at Dens or Tannadice on any given Saturday.

Some of the younger element at Dundee United, in trying to encourage a less funereal atmosphere at matches, got permission from the club to form a singing section with a drummer to lift the mood of the crowd.

Personally I think it’s great and brings a wee bit of homemade Bundesliga atmosphere to an often stale Scottish afternoon.

Not everyone agrees though and there have been complaints from other supporters about the noise.

It’s an awkward situation and it’s sad that, in trying to bring some gaiety and atmosphere, those fans attempting to lift the mood and inject a bit of theatre have had criticism for their efforts.