Sutherland’s remote fire units under threat of closure
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RETAINED fire units serving Sutherland’s most remote areas could be in line for closure, it is feared.
Concern is mounting over the future of part-time units along the north and west coasts as the beleaguered Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (HIFRS) launches a restructuring operation.
Some remote and rural units are considered a risk to the fire service because of inadequate training and experience, along with a lack of resources.
The issue is on the agenda at today’s (Friday) meeting in Inverness of HIFRS’s management board.
Chief Fire Officer Trevor Johnson, who has only been in post since May last year, is expected to ask for approval to "suspend" operations at some stations that he thinks "present the greatest risk to the board and the service".
In a report to be discussed at today’s meeting, he states: "The current structure of the service is not sustainable, either in the context of firefighter and community safety or on best value grounds."
No "hit list" of stations has been drawn up but an emergency meeting has been called for next Friday, 2nd March, to decide criteria under which "unsustainable" stations could be closed permanently.
If Mr Johnson gets the go-ahead, units with crewing levels well below the minimum recommended level of 10, or which are considered to be insufficiently trained, could be in danger.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has made it clear it will oppose any moves to close stations.
Union officials this week urged board members not to grant Mr Johnson the power to shut down stations.
North, West and Central Sutherland councillor Linda Munro, who sits on the HIFRS board, described the proposal to shut down small stations as a "slash and burn approach".
She said: "I have no confidence in the slash and burn approach currently being proposed. It smacks of a service redesign masquerading under a health and safety banner.
"Sutherland, with its small rural communities, along with island communities, is likely to suffer most again."
Councillor Munro added: "It would appear there is a great deal we HIFRS board members do not seem to know.
"Nevertheless the board and the HIFRS must engage with communities and ensure people can raise issues and challenge the assumptions and proposals currently being brought forward."
A total of 35 part-time retained stations across the region are understood to be understaffed with crews of eight or fewer.
Sutherland has a total of 11 part-time retained units and crew levels at four of these stations are below the minimum recommended number of 10 – Bettyhill (9); Kinlochbervie (8); Scourie (8); and Tongue (5).
Crew levels at the remaining stations are as follows – Durness (10); Bonar Bridge (11); Dornoch (11); Golspie (11); Helmsdale (11); Lairg (10) and Lochinver (10).
The depth of the problems facing HIFRS emerged late last year when severe shortcomings in the training of firefighters were exposed.
The roots of the crisis date back several years when the number of retained stations in the Highlands and Islands tripled to 95 but investment in training failed to keep pace.
It has now been estimated that less than 10 percent of the 1400 HIFRS employees are properly trained. One local newspaper reported that some firefighters were not even qualified to "climb a ladder to catch a cat".
More recently a report by Audit Scotland highlights serious concerns about the way the brigade is organised. The report states that the service has suffered from poor leadership at both officer and elected member level in the past.
Scottish community safety minister Roseanna Cunningham has also expressed concern.
Steven Torrie, the chief inspector of fire and rescue authorities was so disturbed about the state of the HIFRS that he sent in a top team of fire and rescue experts to investigate.
The team comprises David Dalziel of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service; Alasdair Hay from Tayside and David Millar, Lothian and Borders.
Commenting ahead of today’s meeting, Chief Fire Officer Trevor Johnson said: "At this stage I am unable to predict the future shape of Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service.
"The service has begun the process of examining a range of options and will continue to work with the board, authorities and our communities before a final decision is reached.
"There is a clear and real need to focus on forming a structure that allows continued development of the service and protects communities and employees from risk."
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