The debate about controversial plans to downgrade Balmossie Fire Station is to be reignited after figures revealed the station’s overnight crew has attended just seven major fires in the past year.
Plans to remove full-time night cover at the Broughty Ferry station to allow a full-time crew to operate a day shift in Forfar were narrowly defeated at a meeting of Tayside Fire and Rescue Board last month.
It would mean a part-time retained crew between 6pm and 8am would man Balmossie.
Chief fire officer Stephen Hunter warned councillors then the issue could resurface in next year’s action plan.
Figures released to The Courier revealed night crews from Balmossie attended just six incidents at “primary” dwellings — one every two months — and another incident involving a “primary” vehicle over the last year.It is in stark contrast to Tayside’s busiest station, Macalpine, which attended 106 primary fires between 6pm and 8am over the same period.Primary fires are major fires, involving casualties, rescues or escapes, or any fire involving damage to property — unless it is derelict — or involving a major turnout of fire appliances.
Night crews at Forfar attended 13 primary fires in the last year, almost double those taken care of by Balmossie.
Even taking day shift incidents into account, the Broughty Ferry station’s crews headed to just 18 primary fires.
It was again the lowest in Tayside and more than 10 times less than the busiest overall station — 184 at Blackness, Dundee.
Crews at Forfar attended 27 primary fires over the same period.
The plan to downgrade Balmossie provoked outrage in the community and from the firefighters’ union, the FBU, many of whose members attended the meeting in Perth’s council chambers.
A petition collected more than 900 signatures from people who did not want to see the station changed, citing reasons such as the home safety visits its crews provide.
Indeed, the 10-8 vote in favour of an amendment dropping the Balmossie proposal from the board’s action plan was cheered on the public benches.
Last year, the vote was much more clear-cut with a result of 12-5.
Emotions were high on both sides of the argument during the 50-minute debate that preceded the decision.
Convener Ken Lyall supported the Balmossie cuts proposal. He told the board, “In Forfar and Brechin there are similar stations and it seems to me it’s only fair to have an equal service in these stations.
“I see that as simply improving the service.”