Consultation opens on service review which could see closure of Balmossie Fire Station

The 12-week consultation will consider a wide-ranging review of resources, staffing, and station operations.

SFRS has said that the primary aim is to ensure resources - including staff, stations and appliances - are matched to operational risk and demand.

If Balmossie Station were to close, the second wholetime appliance at Kingsway East, which was temporarily removed in September 2023, would be reinstated.

The proposed changes are spread across 14 different local authority areas and involve more than 30 fire stations. The full list of options includes the closure of 18 stations in total, while Some fire stations may be merged with sites nearby.

There are also plans to repair or rebuild in some locations, as well as transfer staff and appliances to more effective locations.

Maurice Golden, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East, said: Balmossie’s closure would be “a travesty”.

He said: "And yet it has been looked at for closure repeatedly in recent years.

"I wrote to the fire board when these most recent proposals were first being talked about. “Assets from Dundee are often deployed beyond the city, and you can find Balmossie crews helping retained firefighters in Forfar and Montrose.

"That experience saves lives. Lives which depend on effective local cover when every second counts."

Mr Golden also said the merger of fire services across Scotland in 2012 had left a huge financial hangover.

He added: "The fire service is still counting the cost of Kenny MacAskill's mistakes as SNP justice secretary in 2012.

"He lumped the public purse with a massive VAT bill by creating the national service, ignoring warnings from trade unions and the UK Government.

"The hangover from that is still being felt when Balmossie is in the shadow of the axe today."

Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said the review offers the first chance to reassess the service since its formation in 2013.

He said: "Building a modern fire and rescue service that is fit for purpose is the reason we are bringing these proposed changes forward.

"We recognise that these 23 options represent a significant level of change. However, we have a duty to ensure that the right resources are in the right locations to meet new risks that exist within today's communities.

"We also need to spend public money wisely. We have a backlog of repairs in our buildings, fleet and equipment that would cost more than £800 million to address and this just isn't an option available to our service. Therefore, along with the need for sustained investment we need to consider how we operate and reduce running costs for assets that are not serving our staff or communities.

"We must also be able to adapt to meet current and future risks, such as those posed by extreme weather events or wildfires."

CO Stevens added: "These options have been developed over many months involving staff, trade union representatives and other stakeholders.

"There will be a 12-week period to give people time to submit their views on the changes. We would encourage as many people as possible to participate in public consultation process."

The public consultation can be accessed via firescotland.gov.uk.