Edinburgh locals 'deeply concerned' as fire station threatened with closure
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An Edinburgh fire station threatened by closure has sparked a frenzy of concern from locals and firefighters who say they are concerned for the safety of their neighbourhood.
The Marionville Fire Station in Restalrig may close and relocate three miles away to Newcraighall.
Edinburgh Live spoke to David Strachan, Marionville's branch representative for the Fire Brigade Union (FBU). The firefighter has worked at the station for 17 years and was "deeply upset" by the news of potential closure.
He claimed the move to Newcraighall would come with a downsize, costing the station 10 firefighter posts which he called a safety concern for the area.
David said: "This is my community. I live in Abbeyhill. My family lives here and my kids go to school in this area. Marionville would be the first [station] attendance at my home and my kids school and for friends in the area if there was a fire.
"I'm worried that my family and friends, the people of of our community, would have to wait longer for fire engines to respond to an emergency. I have serious concerns that it would make people in this part of Edinburgh less safe."
David claimed the next nearest fire station at McDonald Road, one of the busiest bases in Scotland, would pick up the bulk of Marionville's calls - making the station "significantly busier".
He added: "If McDonald Road [station] is busy - they can only respond to one call at a time - if there were two calls concurrently, people would be waiting even longer for a response."
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Asked about the morale at the station, David added: "Everyone is very unsettled because we don't know what future holds for us. Our primary concern is for the people of this community that are ultimately going to be less safe as a result of this decision."
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the decision to close Marionville was not final and that "any permanent changes to our station footprint or how we deliver our services will only come after we have sought views from the public".
Chris Murray, MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, has voiced his support for the fire station.
He told Edinburgh Live: "I am perplexed that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are taking forward proposals to close Marionville Fire Station. This station is a vital resource in addressing callouts across my constituency, and the whole city.
"Given the pressures we have seen on the fire service over the likes of Bonfire Night, I am clear that closing this station is not in the interests of my constituents' safety."
A post on his Instagram adds: "The Marionville firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect people in central and east Edinburgh. I have met with them several times and heard how bravely they act to save lives – and how they are increasingly overstretched.
"Cutting this station to move resources elsewhere would increase response times – which could be the difference between a bad incident, and a disastrous one. As the local MP, I am crystal clear: Marionville fire station should not be considered for closure."
David launched a petition to help save the station, which garnered over 1,500 signatures in 24 hours.
It explains that Marionville was built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) panels, meaning the station is unsafe and needs to be rebuilt.
The petition continues: "The closure of Marionville presents a huge increase in risk, with increased response times to a densely populated area of Edinburgh, a city where the population is increasing at an unprecedented rate . . . Resources are already spread far too thin in the capital.
"It is a matter of minutes for a fire to go from manageable to fully developed, dramatically increasing the risk to people, property and firefighters."
You can find David's petition here.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Andrew Girrity from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are currently in the midst of a service delivery review, which aims to ensure that our resources – our staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.
'We also must address urgent property issues including stations affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), which includes Marionville Community Fire Station.
"We have now concluded an options appraisal and development process, and a number of change options have been recommended to progress to public consultation in the summer. This remains subject to final approval by the SFRS Board.
"Any permanent changes to our station footprint or how we deliver our services will only come after we have sought views from the public and a final decision has been made by the SFRS Board."
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