Tayside’s former chief fire officer Stephen Hunter says he ”respects” the decision that will end the service he led for the last 11 years.
Mr Hunter (51), who stood down last month, believes Tayside Fire and Rescue could have made the necessary financial cuts to have survived as a single service.
Tayside Fire and Rescue will be absorbed into a single Scottish force next year along with seven other regional services.
Mr Hunter had a 33-year career with Tayside Fire and Rescue having held the service’s top job since 2001.
He opposed the move while he was chief fire officer, but he now supports the Scottish Government’s plan for a single service.
”I respect the people who took the decision. Personally, having served for the last 33 years as a firefighter up to a chief fire officer, I think Tayside Fire and Rescue could have delivered the majority of the financial savings required while still delivering a high-quality service,” he said.
”The Chief Fire Officers Association had preferred a regional structure. However, we agreed that whatever the announcement was, we would support it. All the chiefs are committed to deliver a quality single service.”
Mr Hunter was encouraged by the large number of Tayside Fire and Rescue managers involved in the process of setting up the single service.
He said: ”I would like the single service to take an objective look at the recent reports of the eight Scottish services.
”If it takes the best of these reports and in Tayside there will be a lot to take the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will be a world-class service.”
Mr Hunter said a combination of uncertainty over his future role in the single service and the financial benefit of his retiral to Tayside Fire and Rescue had led to his decision to stand down.
He said: ”Retiring next year could have been an option. But, after being chief for 11 years and achieving a massive amount within Tayside, I think it would have been strange to potentially be working to someone else’s agenda.
”I discussed retiring as a money-saving option and the board said it was one of the options they wanted to pursue.”
Mr Hunter’s decision was approved at a meeting of the Tayside Fire and Rescue Board two weeks ago.
He said his proudest achievement as fire chief was ”working with a fantastic team”.
He added: ”Every single member is highly motivated and highly enthusiastic. We have carried out 40,000 home fire safety visits over the last three years. That surpasses every other service in Scotland by a massive amount.”
Mr Hunter said there had been ”no low points” in his tenure, which included his recommendation that Broughty Ferry’s Balmossie station be downgraded a move he defends.
He said: ”As chief fire officer, I have to deal with facts and evidence. I had professional obligations to Tayside Fire and Rescue Board.
”As a public servant I realised I worked within a political environment. Balmossie is a classic example of what happens when you work within that environment.”