Cuts in the number of frontline firefighters in Fife are set to threaten public safety, an Audit Scotland report has warned.
The report, outlining the Account Commission’s findings following an audit last June, was described as “damning” by former Fife fire officer and Fire Brigades Union secretary Neil Crooks.
The report stated: “FFRS has been required to make significant financial savings over recent years and faces the need to make further budget reductions. So far, it has managed this effectively, maintaining service delivery standards at the same time as reducing the size of its workforce.
“However, it now faces significant challenges with the need to make further savings of 4 to 4.5% in each of the following three years. It now faces a specific challenge to maintain its standard crewing levels for all emergency responses.
“Managers have worked creatively to help minimise the impact of this, but it is difficult to see how further savings can be achieved without the potential for some increase in community risks.”
Mr Crooks, now a Labour councillor for Kirkcaldy North, said: “This is a damning report by Audit Scotland, which calls into question budgetary decisions taken by the SNP-led coalition.
“Financial pressures have forced Fife Fire and Rescue Service (FFRS) to cut the number of frontline firefighters to levels far below minimum safety standards. That this has been allowed to happen in the face of widespread public anxiety betrays a serious failure of political leadership at Fife Council.
“I can only hope the SNP-led coalition closely examines this report and comes to the same conclusion that the people of Fife have already reached before these cuts threaten public safety.”
Last year, Fife’s chief fire officer Neil McFarlane said although efficiency savings had not yet had an effect on the service’s ability to respond to incidents, funding pressures could have an impact in years to come.
As a result of funding issues, the service has been forced to identify cash saving measures and is expected to have lost 13% of its staff by next month.
Fire and rescue falls under the remit of Fife Council’s police, fire and safety committee (PFSC), which during meetings sometimes struggles to cover the wide range of issues up for discussion.
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The report stated that although governance arrangements were “fundamentally sound” there was not always “adequate time for debate” about fire safety issues.
“The wide remit of the PFSC attracts engaged members, able to provide a good standard of independent challenge,” the report said. “It also promotes a more integrated approach to cross-service issues, such as crime prevention, criminal justice services, consumer safety, public health and emergency planning.
“There are, however, some weaknesses in the arrangements for elected members to scrutinise fire and rescue issues. There have been occasions recently where, for example, committee discussions were taken up entirely by policing matters and there was no time remaining to consider significant papers from FFRS.”
The report acknowledged the council had taken steps to improve scrutiny by establishing a separate group, but noted that because its meetings were not held in public there was an impact on openness and transparency.
It went on: “The council has also recently introduced arrangements for short-life working group to undertake in-depth scrutiny on defined issues. This arrangement has not yet had time to make an impact, but it does not fully resolve this ongoing issue for the PFSC.
“Further consideration of the governance arrangements for the committee is needed to ensure that the range of issues that should be considered by the committee for decisions and scrutiny have adequate time for debate and challenge.”
John Baillie, chairman of the Accounts Commission, praised the Fife service for its preventative work in the community, saying: “Fife Fire and Rescue’s preventative work is reflected in reduced numbers of fires and casualties, and the service works well with other organisations. It now needs to put in place better strategic management and show that it is value for money.”
Chief Fire Officer Mr McFarlane said: “I welcome this report which recognises that FFRS has clearly demonstrated again that it is a top-performing service within Scotland. The report also shows we are a ‘can do’ organisation and we will strive to ensure our high delivery standards are maintained despite the difficult financial environment we operate in.
“As we move forward in the development of a national fire and rescue service, we in Fife Fire and Rescue Service will continue to do all we can to ensure that the people living and working within our communities receive a high quality service.
“It is important that the right people, with the right skills, are in the right place at the right time, thereby delivering added value to society and achieving outcomes that can be measured in support of our overall aim of making our communities safe.”