Scots warned of 'deadly' ten minute response time for firefighters to put out blazes

Daily Record

a day ago

EXCLUSIVE: A Fire Brigades Union chief has warned response times for emergency calls will soar if cuts are pushed through.
Scots have been warned of a 'deadly' rise in firefighter response times and more people perishing in blazes.
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Fire Brigades Union chief John McKenzie said he feared planned cuts will increase the time taken for firefighters to attend emergencies to ten minutes.
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He said: 'Inevitably people will lose their lives as a result of these cuts. That's black and white. There's no hiding from that.'
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The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service launched a consultation recently that could see fire stations closing and fire engines being taken away from some areas.
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Monifieth near Dundee could all see stations close in a bid to save money.
McKenzie told the Record the median response time of first arrival had increased from six minutes and fifty one seconds to eight minutes and twenty seconds in a decade.
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He claimed the 'budget driven' cuts could see this soar to ten minutes, with disastrous impact for businesses and homeowners:
'Eveything we've seen tells us that response times will continue to increase. So at some point inevitably they will reach ten minutes and beyond that.'
'If you own a business and it is affected by fire, if you live in a house and it goes on fire, if you are involved in a road traffic collision or car accident, on average you will be waiting longer.'
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McKenzie, the FBU's regional secretary for Scotland, said the cuts mean people will be in greater danger: 'There will inevitably be members of the public who will either become seriously injured or lose their lives, who otherwise wouldn't have. And the reason for that is response times increasing.'
He continued: 'We have made it crystal clear that there can be no further cuts to the fire service in Scotland. We have already moved past a level of cuts that is unsustainable for maintaining public safety.
'The service needs more money.'
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McKenzie said firefighters are 'hurt' at not being able to provide the level of service needed: 'Our members are really angry.'
He also accused the SFRS and SNP Government, which funds the service, of not taking responsibility: 'Passing the buck doesn't put more firefighters in fire engines.'
'There is no grey area here. It is for the Scottish Government to fund the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.'
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Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said: "Stripping away essential fire cover is indefensible. Every minute matters in a fire and delays cost lives. Firefighters are being asked to do more with less in life-threatening situations, and yet the service is on its knees as a result of SNP cuts.
'It is vital that the Scottish Government listens to these warnings and ensures Scotland's Fire and Rescue Service has the resources it needs to keep people safe.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland's firefighters do an amazing job and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) remains fully ready and able to respond to any emergency incidents that occur – with public safety paramount.
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'The Scottish Government is providing £412.2 million to support SFRS in 2025-26 - an above-inflation increase of £18.8 million. Scotland has more firefighters per capita than other parts of the UK, with funding increasing substantially year-on-year since 2017-18.
'The SFRS has been clear that the changes proposed in its current review are so it can adapt to the changing risks and demands of communities and ensure firefighters are in the right place at the right time. We encourage local communities to contribute to shaping Scotland's fire and rescue services through the SFRS online consultation and public engagement sessions.'
Stuart Stevens, Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'We have an opportunity for the first time since our national service was formed in 2013 to review how we provide our emergency service every minute of the day, every day of the year.
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'Building a modern fire and rescue service that is fit for purpose is the reason we are bringing these proposed changes forward.
'We recognise that these 23 options represent a significant level of change. However, we have a duty to ensure that the right resources are in the right locations to meet new risks that exist within today's communities.'
He added: 'These options have been developed over many months involving staff, trade union representatives and other stakeholders.
'There will be a 12-week period to give people time to submit their views on the changes.
'We would encourage as many people as possible to participate in public consultation process.'