Latest news with #CraigMcGoldrick
Daily Record
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Wildfire 'could be biggest Scotland has seen' as scale of damage remains unknown
After spending five days putting the fires out, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Officer Craig McGoldrick issued an update on Thursday. A huge wildfire that tore across the north of Scotland could be the biggest outdoor fire the country has ever seen, according to fire chiefs. After spending five days putting the fires out, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Chief Officer Craig McGoldrick issued an update on Thursday thanking firefighters for their heroic efforts. Firefighters used specialist equipment including all-terrain vehicles, fogging units, leaf blowers and beaters to bring the flames under control. Police said they were trying to establish the circumstances around an area in the Highlands. ACO McGoldrick said: "I would like to recognise the tremendous efforts of our staff in dealing with an incredibly demanding period over recent days, in particular our response to large-scale wildfires across Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire. "Between Saturday June 28 and Wednesday July 2 operations control colleagues in Dundee handled a remarkable 583 emergency calls leading to 223 incidents attended. "A significant portion of these were secondary fires highlighting the intensity of the situations that you faced. "The fires that took hold from Carrbridge to Forres from Saturday could ultimately be one of the biggest outdoor fires Scotland has ever seen. "We don't know the full damage of the scale yet but we do know that the vast size of these fires were extremely challenging. "Overall it requires the deployment and movement of a significant volume of staff and appliances in and out of the area as relief crews stepped in to take over and others provided necessary standby cover." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Fire crews spent five days dealing with the blazes across Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey, Dava and Upper Knockando, with the area impacted described as being on a 'vast scale'. The wildfires were mostly extinguished as of July 2 and a joint probe with Police Scotland has now been launched to establish the cause of the blazes. Chief Inspector Mike MacKenzie, local area commander, said: 'Fortunately no-one has been injured but a large swathe of the countryside has been badly affected. I would like to thank all the emergency services and the public involved. 'Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and this includes the area around Lochindorb between Carrbridge and Dava and the area around Loch Allan near Dava. 'We are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information that could assist with the investigation to get in touch.'
STV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- STV News
Government accused of 'contempt' over lack of running water at fire stations
The Conservatives have accused the Scottish Government of treating firefighters with 'contempt' after figures revealed 18 fire stations around the country do not have running water. According to the stats, which were obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via a Freedom of Information request, the 18 stations are mainly located across rural areas in the Highlands and Islands. Most consist of fire appliance garages, but four have only a 'garden shed' and three are listed as 'no building'. The party said that at one of the sites, a fire appliance garage at Foyers, it had been reported that fire crews were having to use wet wipes to clean equipment. The Tories said the figures come in the wake of proposals unveiled by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to close up to 13 fire stations due to 'funding cuts', with the body having seen its budget fall by £57m in real terms over 10 years. Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister Sharon Dowey MSP said: 'These shocking figures are proof of the SNP's contempt for Scotland's brave firefighters. 'It's shameful and negligent that they are risking the health and wellbeing of dedicated emergency workers by denying them access to the most basic yet essential facilities at work. 'SNP ministers have been short-changing the service for years, leaving firefighters to do their job with one hand behind their back, jeopardising public safety. 'On their watch, the number of firefighters is plummeting, stations are being earmarked for closure and now we learn a growing number of bases lack running water. 'This situation is intolerable, unsustainable and could have devastating consequences. 'SNP ministers must ensure all of Scotland's fire stations are fit for purpose immediately.' The Conservatives said in 2022 there were at least 11 fire stations reported as having no running water, which they said meant the problem had 'worsened, or no action has been taken'. They also pointed to SFRS figures from April 2024 showing that 45% of fire stations are in poor condition and 75% are deemed 'unsuitable'. The party added that the SFRS was also criticised by the Health and Safety Executive earlier this year over the condition of some fire stations. Assistant chief officer Craig McGoldrick, director of training, safety and assurance at SFRS, said SFRS has an 'insurmountable' capital backlog of more than £800m, and that many of its ageing buildings 'require action'. He went on: 'We can only address this by changing how we work. We're currently running a public consultation that outlines 23 options for change to help address urgent property issues and ensure our resources – staff, stations and appliances are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland. 'We recognise that there are limited welfare facilities at some fire stations, and we have issues with RAAC in other sites, all of which form considerations as part of the public consultation.' Mr McGoldrick said: 'The safety of our firefighters will always be a priority and it's important that our crews can shower and clean kit following attendance at an incident with potential contaminants. '£3.2m is being invested by the service into the management of fire contaminants and this includes boosting our reserves of personal protective equipment, enhanced storage for contaminated kit and new laundry procedures. 'For the small number of stations without running water, specialist decontamination wipes have been provided.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland's firefighters do an amazing job and the Scottish Government continues to support the SFRS to deliver the high standard of services required to keep Scotland safe with an overall budget of £412.2m, an increase of £18.8m for 2025-26. 'Scotland continues to have more firefighters per capita than other parts of the UK. 'The SFRS has been clear that the changes proposed are not about cuts but so it can adapt to the changing risks and demands of communities and ensure firefighters are in the right place at the right time. 'For example, eight of the 13 stations in the review have not been operational for a number of years and dwelling fires have reduced by over 20% since 2013, whilst climate-related events such as flooding and wildfires have increased.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
