Reacting to the publication of an Audit Scotland report that revealed a funding gap of £43M in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “When the single fire service in Scotland was set up, it was claimed by the Scottish Government that it was about protecting frontline firefighter jobs.
“Instead we have seen a cut of over 400 frontline firefighters and emergency 999 control staff in its first two years. These are austerity cuts to the fire and rescue service and there is no getting round that fact.
“With staff costs accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the budget it is likely that bosses will look to cut even more firefighters to fill the funding gap. This will seriously compromise public safety and put lives at risk.
“The cuts have already had a damaging impact on the service. Five 999 emergency control rooms are due to close later this year undermining the ability to provide Scottish firefighters with the fast, accurate information that comes with local knowledge when responding to emergencies in progress.
“We call on Scottish government ministers to stop these cuts and to discuss with firefighters a guaranteed minimum staffing level.”
Chris McGlone, executive council member for Scotland, said: “Protecting frontline firefighting services in Scotland was a key aim for the government. In our opinion, adherence to the agreed Resource Based Crewing model would support this aim. However, the reality of job losses and the potential for further cuts suggests that achieving this aim may be at risk.
“The FBU in Scotland would also like to see the results of the ‘cultural audit’ conducted last year and which is referred to in this report. It is vital that the views of staff are taken on board and used to improve and influence service delivery.”
