Fire chief apologises amid Aberdeen crew shortages

Lewis Ramsay said it was not a crisis

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has apologised in the wake of concerns over a shortage of fire engine cover in Aberdeen.

It follows several recent incidents where some of the city's six full-time fire appliances were stood down.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer Lewis Ramsay said it was a short-term issue.

He said: "If there has been that loss of confidence then I deeply regret that and I do apologise."

'Every second counts'

Mr Ramsay added: "My concern is that communities lose some confidence (in the service).

"It's not an issue I could describe as a crisis, it's certainly not a chronic issue, it's a short-term issue that we have solved."

He said "every second does count when someone calls 999" but he was not aware of any situation where crews had not arrived as quickly as possible.

Mr Ramsay added: "Whilst I would apologise fully to our communities about what has occurred and if that's caused them concern, what I would say is that lives are not at risk.

"We are here to protect you and we will continue to do that. We will do whatever it takes to make sure we have got enough people in Aberdeen and other parts of Scotland to protect our communities.

"I am working with the Fire Brigades Union to protect our firefighters and our communities and I will continue to do that. I will listen to their concerns and we will always do what is right."

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has raised concerns about safety in recent weeks, saying lives were at risk as a result of the shortages.

'Mistakes were made'

Leon Murray, North Divisional Organiser of the Fire Brigades Union Scotland, said: "We have had a meeting with the assistant chief fire officer and his deputy and they have acknowledged that mistakes were made.

"They have accepted all our our concerns and they have given us assurances that we are happy with that things will change.

"We've bit-by-bit seen the number of appliances available dwindling. But following our meetings, and the assurances we have been given, we think things are now moving in the right direction.

"We are looking forward to having the right number of appliances with the right number of crew on duty at all times."

A Scottish government spokesman said last week: "Provision of fire appliances is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

"Last year the Scottish government increased the overall SFRS operational budget by £21.7m, supporting investment in vital equipment and resources, and have increased the spending capacity by £15.5m in 2018/19."