PLANS to change the fire service provision in Inverclyde are being out for public consultation.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is proposing changes across 14 different local authority areas and involving more than 30 fire stations, including Greenock and Port Glasgow.
Public meetings are to be held locally in August.
Two options are being considered for Inverclyde.
One option is to make permanent the ‘temporary’ change carried out in September 2023 of withdrawing Greenock’s full-time combined aerial rescue pump (CARP), pictured above right, and replacing it with a dedicated high-reach appliance.
The other option includes option one plus changes to how two other local crews are manned:
— The third appliance at Greenock, which is currently crewed by on-call firefighters who are paged would be crewed by wholetime firefighters during day-shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and crewed by on-call firefighters out with these hours. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged.
— The first appliance at Port Glasgow, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters round-the-clock would instead be crewed by wholetime firefighters during day-shift hours from Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and by on-call firefighters out with these hours. The second on-call appliance would be unchanged.
The public meetings are at St Margaret’s Church, Finch Rd, Greenock on Wednesday 27 August, 6 to 8pm, and New Parish Church hall, Church Street, Port Glasgow, on Thursday 28 August, 6 to 8pm. Those going must confirm attendance in advance by emailing SFRS.PublicInvolvement@firescotland.gov.uk.
Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We have an opportunity for the first time since our national service was formed in 2013 to review how we provide our emergency service every minute of the day, every day of the year. 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.”
He 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.”
