FIREFIGHTERS have staged a rally outside the Scottish Parliament demanding the Government takes urgent action to end a decade of cuts they say have left the service facing “disaster”.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said members will be left with no choice but to “consider all options” if ministers ignore the “multiple crises” facing the service.
Firefighters gathered outside Holyrood in Edinburgh on Thursday to call on the Scottish Government to reverse its five-year, flat cash budget allocation.
🧑🚒A huge turnout at Holyrood today, with firefighters from across Scotland sending a powerful message to the Scottish government. We demand urgent funding and an end to brutal fire service cuts NOW. If politicians refuse to listen, we will stand in unity to save our service✊ pic.twitter.com/eibnOMaQ3t
— Fire Brigades Union (@fbunational) October 26, 2023
FBU Scotland chairman Gus Sproul said the union had been making its case to the Scottish Government and was being “ignored”.
Sproul said that more than 1200 jobs had been cut since the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) came into existence just over a decade ago.
He added that the FBU in Scotland predicted that another 780 jobs could be cut if no changes were made to budgets – cuts that the union says would endanger the lives of firefighters and the communities they serve.
“Only this year we saw 10 fire appliances, nine high-reach vehicles and the permanently crewed river rescue boat on the Clyde withdrawn from stations, leaving communities with reduced emergency cover,” Sproul added.
The Scottish Government responded that it had provided SFRS with £368 million this year – an increase of £14.4m on 2022-23.
A Government spokesperson added that Scotland has a higher number of firefighters per head of population than other parts of the UK.
SFRS chief officer Ross Haggart said: “In terms of the future of the service, we have been clear that we must modernise to ensure we are best-placed to meet the changing risk and demand we face across Scotland, while also addressing our ongoing financial challenges.
“This is undoubtedly a challenging time for the public sector in Scotland and we are not immune to this – we’ve been clear that difficult decisions will have to be made without investment.
“However, any permanent changes now or in the future will only be made following full engagement and consultation with all our stakeholders, including the FBU.”
Haggart added that the safety of Scotland’s communities and firefighters “will always be of paramount importance to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service”.
The rally comes after the Firestorm report – published by the FBU earlier this week – found Scotland’s fire service is in “crisis”, with low morale, under-investment and budget cuts impacting severely on firefighters’ ability to respond effectively to serious and life-threatening incidents.
Speaking at the rally, Sproul said: “This show of strength by our members and the explosive Firestorm report we published earlier this week means we cannot be ignored any longer.
“If the Scottish Government continues to ignore the multiple crises facing the service, our members will be left with no option but to consider all options to force political leaders to wake up to the disaster that is befalling what should be a well-trained, well-equipped and well-resourced public service.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Firefighters play a vital role in protecting our communities and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has continued to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe.
“That is why, despite difficult financial circumstances due to UK Government austerity, we are providing SFRS with more than £368m this year – an increase of £14.4m on 2022-23.
“While the allocation of resources, along with the recruitment and retention of firefighters, is an operational matter for SFRS, we are maintaining frontline services, with a higher number of firefighters in Scotland than other parts of the UK.
“Ministers will continue engaging with the FBU to discuss their concerns.”
