Concerns over the recent reduction in fire appliances throughout Fife and Tayside regions have been amplified as they are unveiled as part of a more extensive series of cuts to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

This new wave of cutbacks involves the removal of fire appliances from more than ten stations. Among these are four stations located in Fife: Methil, Dunfermline, and Glenrothes, which will each lose a fire engine, and Kirkcaldy, which will suffer the loss of its height appliance.

Within Tayside, Dundee’s Kingsway East fire station will see the reduction of one fire engine, and the only fire station in Perth will also experience a similar loss.

FBU Scotland’s regional chair, Gus Sproul, voiced his concern: “The FBU has repeatedly raised our concerns about the impact of cuts to the number of fire appliances serving our communities.

“Make no mistake, fewer fire appliances and fewer firefighters mean that our communities are at greater risk. Our members who have recently attended major incidents in Fife and Tayside tell us that if they have to attend similar incidents in the future with one less appliance then lives and property will be put at significantly increased danger.

“What’s happening across the Service in Scotland is nothing more than the effect of ongoing budget cuts. Politicians and Government Ministers must decide if they are prepared to accept the citizens of their local communities being less safe in their homes.

“When the Scottish Government announced their resource-based spending review last year, we said it would have devastating consequences and here we are.

“The FBU is absolutely opposed to the cuts and will fight to maintain the level of safety and security that the local communities of Scotland deserve.”

The union’s words echo a growing concern over the continuous reduction in resources dedicated to Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Services and the impact this may have on community safety.