Lowest level of firefighters in a decade

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has urged the SNP/Green Government to act now to tackle the steady decline in firefighters, after new figures revealed that the number of firefighters has dropped to its lowest level in the last decade.    

Figures published by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) reveal that the number of FTE wholetime operational staff (full-time firefighters) has dropped from 4,151 in 2012/13 to 3,487 in 2022/23.    

The figures also show that the number of FTE retained duty staff (on call firefighters) has dropped from 2,787 in 2012/13 to 2,333 in 2022/23.  

Both sets of figures represent the lowest levels of staff in the last decade.  

At the beginning of the year, the Fire Brigades Union voted to take strike action for the first time in 20 years in a row over pay.  

Mr McArthur said:     

“The SFRS is yet another public service being cut to the bone by this SNP/Green Government.  

“The tragic death of Edinburgh-based firefighter, Barry Martin, at the start of the year was a sobering reminder of the sacrifices firefighters make to keep the rest of us out of harm’s way.  

"For years, however, harmful government cuts have piled more pressure on the service. With firefighter numbers now at their lowest level in a decade, that pressure will continue to grow with the risk that response times to incidents will also increase.      

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would invest in our fire service. That means properly resourcing and equipping the service so that it can tackle the challenges it faces day-in, day-out.”