Motion on Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Cuts

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MOTION BY COUNCILLOR J DUFF AND BAILIE C AHERN
Scottish Fire And Rescue Service Cuts
In an effort to address the consequences of the Scottish Government’s flat cash
budget settlement over the next four years, which will require budget cuts of
£36million, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has announced the removal of fire
appliances from a number of fire stations across Scotland including one of the three
fire appliances based at Perth’s only fire station. This will also be accompanied by a
reduction in the number of firefighter posts at Perth.
These latest cuts follow on from significant underinvestment in the Scottish Fire and
Rescue Service over many years, including the loss of nearly 600 wholetime
operational firefighter posts in the decade to 2021-22, and response times for
emergency call-outs rising every year since the Fire and Rescue Service was
centralised.  
While these latest cuts are purported to be temporary, the reduction of a fire
appliance and firefighters from Perth will place our communities and firefighters at
greater risk and is of significant concern to this Council.
This Council therefore calls upon the Chief Executive and the Council Leader to
meet with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and with our
Community Planning Partners in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to express
this Council’s serious concerns for these proposals and to call upon the Scottish
Government to provide sufficient additional funding to reverse these cuts.