Anger as Balmossie Fire Station to be downgraded after service review
The decision to downgrade Balmossie Fire Station at Broughty Ferry has been met with dismay by local politicians and the Fire Brigades Union.
After a 12-week public consultation, and a wait of several months, as part of a national Service Delivery Review, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board this week announced that Balmossie will become a retained service.
The wholetime appliance will be permanently removed, with one on-call appliance maintained.
SFRS Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We recognise that this process has been challenging and, at times, emotive for our staff and communities where changes are proposed.
“There have been extensive efforts to engage with staff and communities to fully understand their views. We have taken great care to analyse the feedback received and ensured it has been given thorough and considered attention.”
John McKenzie, Scottish regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said the board’s decisions will now be considered by its committee.
He said: “The Service has already lost almost 1250 jobs since its formation in 2013 and these proposals will result in more posts going unfilled, stations closed, fire appliances withdrawn, response times increased and a downgrade of fire cover, all of which will result in greater risk to lives, property and the natural environment.
“These wide ranging cuts are a further consequence of trying to run a national service on a shoestring budget.”
Broughty Ferry councillor Craig Duncan said he was “extremely disappointed and angry” with the decision.
He added: “I firmly believe this is the wrong decision for Broughty Ferry and the wider area within Dundee and South Angus. Our communities deserve the highest possible standards of fire and rescue protection, not a reduction in frontline emergency cover.”
North East Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said: “Losing the full-time appliance will result in longer response times for Broughty Ferry and south Angus.
"The reason the fire service is having to make these unpalatable cuts in the first place is because of yearly reductions in their budget and headcount across Scotland.”