A COUNCILLOR who fears cuts could be looming for Inverclyde’s fire service today urged locals to take a stand against further reductions.
Tommy McVey says the district’s residents need to send a clear message to Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) chiefs by participating in its ongoing ‘Shaping our Future Service: Your Say’ survey.
But the independent elected member has warned locals to consider their answers carefully when filling out the survey, which SFRS has launched as it considers future changes to its services.
Councillor McVey also raised concerns about the area's 'over-reliance' on part-time firefighters and demanded that SFRS bosses ensure Inverclyde has a full-time 24/7 service available.
He told the Tele: “There appear to be leading questions [in the survey] and my concern is that people answer these questions, and those answers will be used to justify further cuts to local services further down the line.
“Fires can happen at any time of the day, at any time of the night and I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have a fully crewed appliance here all the time which is ready to resort to any emergency here in Inverclyde.
“We don’t want there to be situations where there are delays getting retained units to incidents.
“This is the crux of the matter when it comes to reducing the number of full-time pumps.
“I know of incidents where there have been delays. Fortunately there’s been no loss of life but there has been a loss of property.
“Overall, in Scotland, we’re seeing, as the FBU have reported, a 14 per cent increase in response times.
“My fear is that cuts could be coming down the line and we need to say enough is enough.
“We need a fully crewed fire service 24/7, we must resource to risk not statistics.
“People who are answering the survey need to be very careful and read the questions before thinking about their responses.”
While discussing the future of Inverclyde’s three fire stations, Cllr McVey also highlighted a proposal previously put forward by the council which would see the local police and fire service use the same building.
He added: “Another issue which we’ve heard come up time and time again is about joint stations which would hold both police and fire.
“We know we have an issue with the police station at the moment and the council have offered to help facilitate that.
“I call on the fire service to get together with the police service and the council and look at how we can put this in place.
“I’m certainly not aware of any discussions around that currently.
“If we’re serious about reducing costs and getting stations that are fit for purpose then that needs to happen and as far as I’m aware nobody is taking responsibility.
“There’s always a worry that a tragedy could occur. We’re now a pump short and whether we like it or not we have an over-reliance on retained guys, who do a fantastic job but we have to remember they have other commitments in their life.
“There are big concerns moving forward and I really hope people who are filling out that survey take their time and think very carefully.”
The SFRS today responded to Cllr McVey'c comments.
Area Commander David McCarrey, local senior officer for East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, said: “Our online survey is the first stage in our engagement with communities, staff, representative bodies, partners, and elected members as we consider changes to the emergency service we deliver across Scotland.
"The views gathered during this process will assist to develop options for full public consultation. We urge people to complete our survey and give their views.
“On call firefighters are exceptional individuals who step up to protect their communities in Inverclyde and across Scotland. We continue to thank them for their commitment.”
*SFRS's survey can be accessed at www.firescotland.gov.uk/get-involved/consultations/shaping-our-future-service-your-say/ and will run until June 30.
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