Firefighters set to march on Holyrood over cuts
Highland Fire Engine - credit Dave Conner
Members of the Fire Brigades Union will march on the Scottish Parliament tomorrow over plans to cut fire stations and staff, it has been announced.
The trade union is reacting to papers circulated to senior Scottish Fire and Rescue Service management last month which show fire stations are to be closed and firefighter numbers cut.
Scotland's fire chief Alasdair Hay has said the current model is "unsustainable".
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The FBU says the Scottish Government is understood to be ready to approve the cuts.
Regional secretary Denise Christie said: “Each day across Scotland, dozens of fire engines cannot respond to emergencies because there are simply not enough firefighters to crew them. It is a disgrace that more cuts are even being considered.
“We have lost over 700 frontline firefighters in Scotland since 2013 and response times to emergencies have been lengthening in recent years as a result. This is unsustainable and firefighters are demanding an end to the cuts and are asking for a commitment from the Scottish government for future investment.”
“This is not the level of service that we expect or deserve and the politicians know this. It’s why there is a broad political consensus that these cuts are bad for public safety.”
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