More than 550 people have signed a petition in protest at a plan to decommission a fire engine at Perth Fire Station.
Scottish Fire Rescue Service (SFRS) last month announced that the station will lose one fire engine for at least a year as part of nationwide cuts.
There are currently three fire appliances – two fire engines (pumping appliances) and one aerial rescue pump (height vehicle) – operating out of the headquarters off Long Causeway.
But the SFRS says that from September the sole height vehicle, which can also be operated as a pumping appliance with minimum four crew, will be solely used as a height vehicle and crewed by just two.
Councillor Brian Leishman (Labour) said: “The consequences of this are potentially devastating with loss of life and buildings.”
He has set up a petition calling for a u-turn, which has received more than 550 signatures in just five days.
The ward member for Perth City North has additionally presented a motion to the housing and social wellbeing committee, who will meet to discuss it on Wednesday, June 21.
Firefighters are also planning to stage a protest in Perth on the morning of the meeting.
Noisy demonstrations already held
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says the move is necessary as it seeks to find £36.5 million in savings within four years to meet budget targets.
Its announcement of the temporary withdrawal of appliances at 10 stations across Scotland – including four in Fife, the one in Perth and one in Dundee – has caused a furious outcry.
Noisy demonstrations have taken place outside council buildings in Glenrothes and Dundee.
And Cllr Leishman has grave concerns about community safety in Perth.
“As well as this removal, Perth will have 63 operational firefighters instead of the 68 we have currently,” he said.
“This can only lead to a reduction in service the public has from the SFRS and it will make working conditions for firefighters more dangerous.
“What is going to happen when there is a fire?
“The two water pump appliances we are left with get turned out for the incident, as is the mandatory requirement.
“What happens if there is another fire at the same time in a different location?
“The ARP won’t be pumping water anymore and it will only have a two-person crew so it can’t effectively respond.
“We will need firefighters from Dundee or elsewhere to respond to the fire.
“The consequences of this are potentially devastating with loss of life and buildings.
“This is wholly unacceptable.
“I have great sympathy with firefighters, they don’t want this because they know that the consequences are going to be devastating.”
Call for meeting with SFRS
Cllr Leishman’s motion calls for the council to request a meeting with SFRS decision makers.
The Courier recently spoke to the service’s assistant chief fire officer David Farries, who warned “significant and permanent” change is coming.
He told us: “We definitely need to make permanent changes.
“Once savings are made for this year, we will turn our attention immediately to a public consultation to gain the views of our communities about what needs to be done.”
But he insists community safety will always be the primary concern.
This latter sentiment is queried by David Evans, the Fire Brigades Union’s branch secretary for Perth.
He is planning a series of protests in Perth.
“We can’t see how this can’t have a negative impact on community safety,” Mr Evans said.
“The fewer resources we have, the less the ability we have to make a rescue or put out a fire, or deal with flooding or car crash.
“If we are out on a job there’s less cover in Perth for another job so we will need resources from another area to resolve it safely.
“This will make situations more dangerous.”
