Local authorities throughout Tayside have faced in a day-to-day fight to ensure the continuation of life-saving services
With Scotland brought to a near standstill by heavy snow throughout December, emergency services have faced operating in rural areas stricken by fuel shortages.
Ensuring that they have been able to continue their vital work has required the Tayside authorities emergency planning group to put a detailed emergency plan into operation.
With the roads network struggling and fuel supplies not getting through to rural and even major petrol stations, the danger of the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Tayside or the police and fire services struggling to fill up was very real.
Perth and Kinross Council trading standards manager Sandy Nicoll said, “We carry out regular tabletop exercises, working out what our reaction would be in the event of extended bad weather or in the case of a flu epidemic, for example.
“However, this has been the first year for a very long time that we have been involved in putting our plans into action.”
He added, “In the first week of the big freeze, at the beginning of December, we saw a number of communities, including Blairgowrie, begin to run out of fuel.
“Those shortages could have had serious implications for the work of the NHS and the ambulance service in those areas.
“The problems didn’t just affect rural areas, as some of the major petrol stations in Perth had no fuel for the best part of a week.”
Nonetheless, it has been rural petrol stations that have been hardest hit and that is in part due to the requirements imposed by larger petrol suppliers.’Essential’Many require that filling stations be able to take a full tanker and those who cannot with the cost of larger tanks often being prohibitive tend to be dropped, forcing them to rely on smaller suppliers.
Over the past few weeks a number of these smaller stations have struggled as those suppliers have prioritised deliveries of home heating fuels, such has been the demand for domestic heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
As a result, Mr Nicoll believes it has been vital that the council and its partners have kept their fingers on the pulse to ensure the health and welfare of communities throughout Perth and Kinross.
Among those running dry due to a lack of supply was Blairgowrie and the emergency planning group had to work hard to ensure that there were local alternatives and that supplies resumed as speedily as possible.
“We investigated who had fuel in the local area and sourced a station in Coupar Angus that had plenty of supplies,” Mr Nicoll said.
“The emergency planning group were in touch with the station to ensure that dedicated supplies were held aside for the emergency services.
“With the bad weather and the roads network struggling, we’ve also had to look closely at how easily the emergency services have been able to access fuel supplies and how we can get fuel flowing back into the local area.”
He added, “Of course, we have also been attempting to ensure that everyone who lives in, works in or visits the area has faced a level playing field.
“Fuel supplies in Perth and Kinross, which is a decidedly rural area, are essential for residents, as indeed they are for the council and emergency services.”