Tayside’s fire board convener said new figures showing Broughty Ferry’s Balmossie night crew attended only seven major blazes in the last year was proof of the need to downgrade the station.
Plans to remove Balmossie’s full-time night cover to allow a full-time crew to operate a day shift in Forfar were defeated at a meeting of Tayside Fire and Rescue Board last month.
The Courier last week revealed that in the year to March, the Balmossie night shift dealt with only six fires in dwellings and one in a vehicle.
Ken Lyall said he was “surprised there were so many.”
He said, “It’s well known that it’s a very quiet station and there are very few fires in the Broughty Ferry area, which is good.
“But it highlights the fact that Forfar had far more requirement for their fire engines last year.”
Night crews at Forfar attended 13 primary fires in the last year.
Mr Lyall said, “Forfar should be getting an equitable service to Balmossie.
“Due to the decision by the fire board it’s leaving us in a difficult position because we’ve highlighted the need for a dayshift in Forfar, yet we’re rejecting the proposals for Balmossie.”
The rejected proposals would have meant a part-time retained crew between 6pm and 8am would have manned Balmossie.
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.
However, Mr Lyall said the proposals would not have affected “any prevention work whatsoever.”
He said, “It would have removed a night shift from Balmossie where most of the time the crew are sleeping and moved that crew to a day shift in Forfar, spending 12 hours in the community.
“The (fire) prevention that’s happening in Balmossie and Broughty Ferry would go on exactly the same, whether the proposals had gone ahead or not.”
Mr Lyall said the proposal may come up for consideration again.
“If the management have to come up every year and say what they think will best provide a service for the people of Tayside, it’s bound to include the Balmossie proposal,” he said.
“I came in with a union head, but with that union head I can see quite clearly that the way ahead is the way that’s been proposed. That will safeguard jobs and provide the best service for the people in the long run.”