Firefighters from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) take part in the Cuts Leave Scars rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, calling for an end to cuts imposed on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service over the last 10 years, October 26, 2023
YEARS of cuts in fire and rescue services in Scotland have left public safety at risk as emergency response times lengthen and fewer fire appliances can be mobilised.
The Fire Brigades Union said (FBU) firefighter numbers are the lowest since eight regional fire brigades merged to form the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) in 2013 — down from 4,159 full-time posts to 3,422, a loss of 737 jobs.
The number of control room staff, who take emergency calls and mobilise crews, fell from 234 to 172.
The FBU is demanding 52 weeks of full pay for women firefighters, highlighting the unique health risks they face — and the continuing need to recruit and retain more women if policies like this are still not in place, writes SEONA HART
When it comes to extreme weather events, from wildfires to flash floods, it’s firefighters who are on the front line of defence, but services have been cut to the bone, and government is not taking seriously its responsibility for the environment, says STEVE WRIGHT
