Fire crews in Aberdeen had to travel to the Central Belt to pick up a vital height appliance – because theirs was out of service and the nearest one failed a test.
With resources across country being slashed as the fire service attempts to save £11million, union bosses have warned response times will rise – ultimately putting lives at risk.
Aberdeen and Inverness both have height appliances, the only two north of Dundee.
But on September 4, Aberdeen’s was “off the run” and the team requested Dundee’s to ensure cover if there was an emergency call-out.
Dundee would then have been covered by Perth’s height appliance.
However, the Dundee equipment failed the acceptance test when it arrived in the Granite City and a fault with the jacking system was uncovered.
That meant two firefighters from Aberdeen to drive to Falkirk to borrow theirs to ensure enough cover in the north.
Cuts putting lives at risk
As part of the fire service’s sweeping cuts, the number of height vehicles across the country are being reduced from 25 to 14.
The move was announced as part of the SFRS’s future strategy to help make £11m in savings.
Simon Leroux, the Fire Brigades Union north area official, fears large areas are being left under-resourced – resulting in longer response times to major incidents.
Fortunately, the Aberdeen height vehicle was back in action within a few days, before two major fires broke out on South Deeside Road and Albyn Place.
But the FBU, which represents 1,300 firefighters across the north, says personnel are “stretched thin” and fear for their own safety due to the lack of necessary resources.
Battling ‘moral pressure’ to respond
Mr Leroux said: “It’s a regular topic that has been brought up. Firefighters are generally the people who will do what it takes to make that incident come to a successful conclusion, and we are very good practically at making what we have work.
“However, with the depleted resources it makes it a more difficult ask. When we go into a premises with our breathing apparatus on, there’s a process and we need a certain amount of people and if there aren’t enough people then we have to wait.
“If we are at a house fire where a person is still reportedly in the property, the moral pressure on those firefighters and the incident commander is massive.
“The longer it takes for resources to arrive so we can carry out our jobs in a safe manner the longer it will be for the incident to come to a close.”
He warned limiting resources such as height vehicles and personnel will lead to an increase in response times – ultimately putting lives at risk.
Safety is our ‘number one priority’
Area commander Andrew Wright is the local senior officer (LSO) for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray.
He said: “Across the entire LSO area, we have 57 pumping appliances and an array of specialist resources, including a high-reach appliance.
“Vehicles that operate at height are national assets that are strategically
placed, but can be deployed to wherever they may be required.
“The safety of our crews and communities is our number one priority and we will always attend every emergency.”
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