Firefighters in Fife face an “impossible” task and can no longer guarantee public safety, it has been claimed.
The sensational allegations from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) came after a Scottish Government “outline business case” revealed proposals to slash Fife Fire and Rescue Service’s budget by 16% over the next four years.
According to the FBU, there are not enough firefighters to staff the region’s appliances leaving the service in “meltdown”.
Officials also warn that firefighters are increasingly being required to do administrative work rather than undertaking frontline duties.
FBU Fife chairman Graeme Birtley said, “The service’s senior officers are being asked to do the impossible. The risk to the people of Fife has not changed, yet we understand that station closures, reductions in firefighter numbers and downgrading of fire cover are all being considered simply to make financial savings, with no consideration of the risk to the public or measurable professional judgment.”
Union officials warn that, since a 2% per annum cut to budgets in 2005, Fife Fire and Rescue is already unable to respond to some incidents, particularly in the west of the region, as quickly as it once could.
Extracts from the Scottish Government’s draft outline business case show that Fife Fire and Rescue Service funding for 2010/11 stood at £20 million but it could be slashed by 4% in each of the next four years.
Fife Fire and Rescue area manager Ian Vincent told The Courier that tough times were ahead but insisted the service would also aim to ensure the safety of its firefighters and the general public.
“As things stand we are subject to efficiency measures,” Mr Vincent said. “We are looking at all the aspects of service delivery.
“However, we have guiding principles which inform our decision-making process … and key to them is firefighter safety and public safety.
“The situation is going to become more difficult in coming years, there is no doubt about that, but we do have these guiding principles that we are working to ensure.”