FIRE response times in Scotland are at their highest for 20 years, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) told the STUC Congress today. 

FBU Scotland secretary Denise Christie proposed a motion in support of the union’s campaign to adopt a new national response time for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

She also emphasised the impact of austerity cuts on public and firefighter safety. 

“We face increased risks of terrorism, climate change and an ageing population, as well as other hazards and threats,” she said. 

“Increased risk requires increased funding and increased investment, but we are continually experiencing cut after cut under the guise of austerity, which basically means deregulation and reductions in government spending.”

Between 60 and 100 fire engines lie idle every day due to a lack of staff, Congress delegates heard.

Since the 2013 creation of the Scotland-wide fire service from the amalgamation of the previous eight regional brigades, it takes 10 per cent longer for a fire engine to arrive at a scene of emergency. 

In her speech, Ms Christie emphasised the ideological nature of austerity cuts, arguing: “These are political choices, not economic choices.”

Supporting the motion, Dundee trades union council delegate Mike Arnott recalled how fire engines from his city had been sent to cover emergencies in Aberdeen on five occasions in a six-month period.

Last September, deputy assistant chief fire officer for the north of Scotland David Farries said that the national fire service “allows us to flex and bend our resources.”

But Mr Arnott told Congress: “We will not tolerate a flex and bend fire and rescue service with flex and bend budgets and flex and bend response times.”

Ms Christie said cuts have led to the loss of almost 1,000 fire and rescue staff in Scotland in five years, leaving both firefighters and the public more vulnerable.

Referencing the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in west London, she told the hall: “We are not here scaremongering when we campaign against the impact of austerity. Grenfell was a crime.

“It was a crime against the workers who lived there and the workers’ movement needs to organise in response to demand justice.”

David McGown the deputy chief officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “National response times are not always a meaningful measure in Scotland because our country includes large inner cities as well as diverse and rural communities.

“The time to incident in Scotland has increased by around just 36 seconds over the past four years.

“But we are never complacent and that is why the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is proposing to transform to allow us to enhance both the weight and time of response.

“Our firefighters have worked tirelessly to stop fires from occurring in the first place with the total number of fire-related fatalities for 2016-17 decreasing by more than half on the 111 recorded in 1999-2000.

“The total number of fires has reduced by 40 per cent compared to 10 years ago, and we remain fully committed to continuing to reduce incidents of fire.

“We are available to support the public to stay safe, most notably through our free Home Fire Safety Visits where we will visit residents to offer safety advice.

“Our communities are protected by the SFRS’s significant combined resources and over 7,000 firefighters.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service exists to save lives, and the people across Scotland can be assured that we always have the right resources in the right place at the right time.

“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service continues to attend at every emergency.”