14 fire stations with dangerous concrete

Responding to comments made this morning by Ross Haggart, Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, at the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee, where he stated that since 2019 the service has been made aware of 14 fire stations with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) for which “permanent solutions are required,” Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:  

“Ross Haggart is absolutely right when he says that we need permanent solutions. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sounded the alarm about RAAC from as early as July of last year, but ministers have been happy to sit on their hands.

“From our emergency service and healthcare buildings to our schools, colleges and universities, the extent of this dangerous concrete is far-reaching.    

“I want to know why the Scottish Government chose not to act in the face of clear warnings. Ministers must urgently publish a full list of public buildings containing RAAC and commit to a national fund that will assist with its removal.”  

Responding to Mr Haggart’s comments on the SFRS needing to make £14m of cuts, which is the equivalent to 339 full-time firefighters, Mr Cole-Hamilton added: 

“This is yet more damning evidence of the pressures facing the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“Despite regularly going beyond the call of duty to keep us out of harm’s way, the service is being forced to make difficult choices which have the potential to impact on the safety of communities.  

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would properly resource and equip the fire service so that it is able to tackle the challenges it faces day-in, day-out.”