Fire service? We’re more like the terror, disaster and flood brigade
As most radical reform for decades looms...
SCOTLAND’S fire service will get its most radical reform in decades as it focuses on tackling threats such as terrorism and floods.
In recent years the number of call-outs to fires has slumped as people become safety-conscious.
Now the nation’s top fire officer has revealed plans to transform the service to adapt to a changing role.
Alasdair Hay, Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), warned the organisation must change to deal with new and growing threats. Increasingly, its biggest calls – including the George Square bin lorry crash and the Clutha pub tragedy in Glasgow – do not involve fires.
The number of fires north of the Border fell to 26,613 last year, compared to 65,841 in 1996. But non-fire call-outs rose from 9,158 in 2013 to 12,832 last year, including 1,488 related to floods.
Mr Hay, 55, is planning a consultation with communities and politicians, to help design the fire service of the future.
He said: ‘The biggest thing that’s worrying me is the threat of terrorism. If you look at the Twin Towers
‘The nation’s insurance policy’
attack, 343 firefighters lost their lives. The fire service will be on the front line if there’s a terror attack. These things are hugely, hugely impactful. If the event happens, you can’t invent the fire service on the day. You have to ensure you have that infrastructure in place.’
The village of Ballater in Aberdeenshire was severely affected when Storm Frank hit the UK in December 2015. The River Dee burst its banks, flooding 60 businesses and 300 homes.
Edinburgh-born Mr Hay said: ‘When I went to Ballater, it looked like a Caribbean island that had just been hit by a hurricane.’
It’s not only dramatic rescues he wants the fire service to tackle. He said: ‘It’s health and social care. Our population is ageing. If you look at demand for ambulances, we’ve seen a 50 per cent reduction in emergency calls, the ambulance service has seen theirs growing. So how do we help?’
One way they are already helping is by sending crews to cardiac calls, where they keep patients alive until paramedics attend. Mr Hay said: ‘We can get to incidents far quicker than anyone else. We can play a fantastic part in the chain of survival.’ The fire service has endured £56 million of cuts since 2013. Mr Hay knows it faces the same threat of cuts as other areas.
However, he said: ‘You need a fire and rescue service – we’re like the nation’s insurance policy.
‘But everyone wants best value for the premiums they pay, so we need to add value in different ways. What do communities want from a fire and rescue service? Before you change that, before you start cutting it, ask the very serious question about how you use that service to meet current and emerging risks.
‘Don’t cut it before you understand what you want to do – that’s the point we’re at.’
But Chris McGlone, executive council member of the Fire Brigades Union Scotland, said: ‘We are in no doubt. Frontline services, appliances and jobs will now be under threat as the service explores and embarks on a radical reform programme.’
Community Safety Minister Annabelle Ewing said: ‘I value the strong and creative leadership Alasdair Hay and his team are continuing to show as they consider the next stages of reform.’