ON August 21 I sent an email to every elected official in Inverclyde and the chief executive of Inverclyde Council.

This amounted to 26 individuals, at the time of writing I have received just six elected official replies.

Now you are probably thinking, they are busy people, and it could not have been a very important issue.

Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth, the subject was protecting the lives of the citizens of Inverclyde.

An issue I believe should be the ‘raison d’etre’ of every single one of our elected officials.

Specifically, the email contained a 14-page document providing an alternative proposal to stop the cuts the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are undertaking in Inverclyde by reducing the number of fire engines and firefighters at Greenock Fire Station, brought on by the funding cuts to the SFRS by the Scottish Government.

It was therefore extremely disappointing that the only individuals who feel it was important enough to give their attention and time, were councillors Tommy McVey, Colin Jackson, Stephen McCabe, Martin McCluskey, Michael McCormick, Inverclyde Council chief executive Louise Long and MSP Stuart McMillan.

Every other Inverclyde councillor, MP Ronnie Cowan and MSP Jamie Greene failed to respond or acknowledge it was an issue they were concerned about!

Citizens of Inverclyde should be asking themselves, why is my councillor, MSP or MP not interested in such an important safety critical issue to the citizens of Inverclyde who they purport to represent.

One might take the view that due to political party affiliations, they cannot or choose not to go on record to oppose these devastating cuts.

If that is the case it is a complete dereliction of duty in my opinion.

These cuts are too important and are putting lives at risk, and regardless of party political politics, protecting the lives of their constituents should be at the forefront of their mind, not complying with a party political whip!

I call on every member of the public in Inverclyde to contact their local councillor, MP and MSP, by whichever means they feel appropriate, and demand they actively support the campaign being led by councillors Tommy McVey and Colin Jackson and the Fire Brigade Union to stop these cuts to the SFRS by the Scottish Government.

In my 30 years in the Fire and Rescue Service, when attending incidents I regularly heard the same phrase from the poor souls who had succumbed to the devastation fire brings: “I didn’t think it would happen to me”.

Unfortunately it can happen to anyone, and the firefighters and the equipment they need to protect you and respond to help you in your desperate time of need when it does happen are being cut to dangerous levels, not only for them but for members of the public.

Unfortunately from my experience to date the majority of the elected officials in Inverclyde are sleepwalking into an inevitable tragedy, and the public need to take them to task.

Richard Duncan