EMERGENCY PERSONNEL in Tayside pledged yesterday to continue to deliver front-line services should a fuel strike cripple supplies north of the border.

The impending strike moved to the top of the agenda at yesterday’s Strategic Co-ordination Group meeting of local emergency service personnel in Perth.

Speaking on behalf of Tayside Fire and Rescue, station manager Neil McKay confirmed that there was enough fuel in the area for the delivery of services in the short term and that an agreement existed with petrol stations should the dispute continue in the long term.

He revealed that there was 31,600 litres of diesel housed within four Dundee fire stations with a further 7700 litres in Perth and 10,000 litres on order for today.

“Whenever this sort of thing comes up we make contingency plans to ensure we can still receive fuel deliveries,” Mr McKay said.

“For obvious reasons any strike action that disrupted fuel supplies would cause us considerable concern—we need fuel to get our engines out to fires.

“However it’s not the first time this has happened and we are prepared for all eventualities.

“There are certain petrol stations that we have an agreement with to ensure we can get fuel, for example the BP garage on the road to Perth, and we also have fuel supplies ourselves at several fire stations across Dundee.”

The police response to any potential fuel shortages is being co-ordinated nationally by the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland.

A spokesman said, “We will work with our partner agencies to ensure continuity of fuel supplies to essential services in the event of an interruption to supply or shortage.”

NHS Tayside also issued assurances that their services would not be affected by strike action.

“NHS Tayside is following the national emergency plan for fuel,” said Douglas Grewar, emergency planning officer for NHS Tayside.

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside added, “We are monitoring the situation carefully and are currently meeting with other emergency service providers to discuss our contingency plans should there be a fuel shortage in the near future.”

A Fife Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said that she was unaware of it being an issue for emergency vehicles but added that many stations in Fife also have their own in-house fuel stores.

Meanwhile, a Fife police spokeswoman said the panic buying was not posing any problems for force vehicles at present as they also have their own supplies of fuel.

A spokesman for the UK Petroleum Industry Association, which represents the country’s nine major oil suppliers, said filling stations had between three to seven days’ fuel supply left, depending on where they were.

He said, “Grangemouth is a significant oil refinery for the whole of Scotland. The danger is that people will dash out and stockpile fuel and generate shortages. Filling stations in the main towns and cities are usually re-supplied two to three days a week—while in rural areas it is around one a week.”

Fuel blockades eight years ago cost the country £250 million a day.

The fuel protests were a series of campaigns held over the cost of petrol and diesel.

The first protest in 2000 was primarily led by lorry drivers and farmers, with blockades of oil facilities causing widespread disruption.

In Scotland only limited supplies were being delivered for emergency use only, and three-quarters of petrol stations were reported to be without fuel.