Firefighters are to demonstrate outside Fife Council’s HQ as senior fire officers arrive to explain “devastating” budget cuts.
Crews from Glenrothes are protesting against a plan to withdraw one of the two appliances from the town’s fire station.
They say fire service policy means a minimum of two fire appliances is needed before firefighters can enter a burning building over 18 metres high.
In Glenrothes, that includes the 16-storey Raeburn Heights, Wetherspoons hotel and the council headquarters at Fife House.
Fire Brigade Union representative Steven Reid said the cuts could result in a single crew having to wait outside for up to 15 minutes until back-up arrived.
The Glenrothes crew commander said: “This will significantly delay firefighting operations for these incidents, with the public wondering why we are not entering to fight the fire and save life.”
The firefighters have invited Raeburn Heights residents to join Thursday’s protest amid fears they will be at increased risk as a result of the move.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has announced it plans to temporarily strip appliances from 10 stations across Scotland, including four in Fife.
It comes as the service attempts to save £11 million from its budget this financial year.
Cuts would ‘impact on ability to keep communities safe’
In Fife, Glenrothes, Methil and Dunfermline fire stations will each lose one pump and the height appliance will be removed from Kirkcaldy.
An appliance at both Kingsway East in Dundee and Perth Community Fire Station will also be mothballed.
Fife Council has called for the plans to be scrapped following concerns over increased response times and the safety of both residents and firefighters.
And councillors have invited the fire service to address them on Thursday morning.
Mr Reid has written to elected members ahead of the meeting to share his concerns.
They include the doubling of the response time of a height appliance if it is moved from Kirkcaldy to Dunfermline.
And the ability of firefighters to undertake training if appliances from other stations are not available to be on standby.
Mr Reid added: “These cuts will significantly impact the ability of firefighters to keep their local communities safe and directly impact the safety and effectiveness of crews on initial attendance at incidents.”
Fire service says no increased risk to public
Around 1,100 firefighter jobs have been cut in Scotland over the last decade.
And Mr Reid said: “Response times to incidents have increased, safe crewing levels are not met and appliances are left uncrewed and unavailable to respond to emergencies.”
He urged councillors to “support firefighters in our fight against these devastating cuts”.
The fire service has attempted to quell fears and insisted there would be no increased risk to the public.
They said the move followed “four years of robust data-gathering”.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service station commander for Fife, Stirling and Clackmannanshire, Niall Miller said: “It’s a temporary withdrawal over a 12-month period on the back of a challenging financial situation.
“There will be no risk increase to the public or firefighters.”
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