Scots waiting longer for 999 fire callouts after SNP shake-up

The typical time Scots wait for fire engines to arrive at an emergency has risen every year since the service was centralised by the SNP almost a decade ago, the Scottish Conservatives have said.

A Freedom of Information request made to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service by the Tory party found the median time to attend 999 callouts was eight minutes and eight seconds last year – 19% higher than the six minutes 50 seconds in 2013.

The median time has risen year-on-year since the eight regional brigades were centralised, according to the data, though the fire service no longer sets response-time targets.

MSP Russell Findlay, the Conservatives' community safety spokesman at Holyrood, said: "Response times are critical and a matter of seconds could be the difference between life and death or whether someone's home is saved or destroyed."

In 2013, Scotland's eight regional brigades were merged into one, creating the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and making it the largest in the UK.

However, as part of the merger it cut the number of control rooms handling 999 calls from eight to three.

According to the data released by the fire service, it is the first time that the median response time has broken the eight minute barrier.

The Scottish Tories said that, in the service's 201922 draft strategic plan, firefighters said their greatest concern was a lack of money from the Scottish Government as well as station closures and reduced crew numbers.

Mr Findlay, an MSP for West Scotland, said: "It's inevitable that SNP cuts could have serious consequences, not only by potentially putting the public at risk, but by demoralising brave firefighters who risk their safety while protecting us.

"The SNP must make the fire service a priority and not an afterthought.

"Communities need to be confident of there being a sufficient number of firefighters to protect them."