The “financial strangulation” of Scotland’s emergency services is fraught with danger, it has been claimed.
Neil Crooks, Fife Council’s last fire convener and a former firefighter, said staff cuts and the threat of fire station closures was affecting public confidence.
As questions were asked over the future of Fife’s fire stations and firefighter numbers, Mr Crooks said: “Austerity is not working and a new approach is urgently required to prevent the collapse of public services, and I mean urgently.”
The Labour councillor’s comments followed revelations in documents released last week that stations and crews across Scotland could be cut as the current model was not considered sustainable beyond the current financial year.
The Fire Brigades Union Scotland said dozens of fire engines are unusable because there are not enough crews to take them out.
Mr Crooks said the leaked papers should come as no surprise.
“It is important that the review terms are transparent, not hidden,” he said.
“The fire service has gone through many changes over the years and the Fire Brigades Union has been the main driver of positive change to benefit public safety and their members’ safety.
“They are driven by professional outcomes, technological advances and social change, not financial pressures caused by austerity demands of their paymasters.”
Mr Crooks said the problem was greatest in the retained service which covers two thirds of fire stations in Scotland.
“Unless there is a sudden change in the funding of the fire service, further change is inevitable.”
He added: “It’s also crucial when such potentially worrying issues like fire station closures and reduced response times get headlines that the public get assurances about their safety.”
Fellow Labour councillor Colin Davidson called for assurances over the situation in Fife amid fears local stations could be affected.
He said: “Does this mean stations like St Monans or Anstruther, which are retained, are under threat?
“Is there any threat to the Methil station or Kirkcaldy, which has the height ladder?
“There are a number of questions that need clarified.”
A spokesperson for the fire service said no decisions had been made but added: “Scotland is facing new and emerging risks.
“If the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is to protect our communities from these risks then it too must change.
“This is not about cuts, it is about the transformation of a delivery model that has served us well but was designed for the risks of over 70 years ago.”
