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The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Team
Closed petition PE2040: Increase funding to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to prevent serious cuts to the service provided to the public
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the annual budget provided to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and take action to prevent job losses and the removal of frontline fire appliances from fire stations across Scotland.
Previous action taken
I have sent emails and letters to MSPs. I will also be engaging with my local MSPs at surgeries and community events.
Background information
I am a current member of the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) and a serving firefighter at Crewe Toll Community Fire Station. Crewe Toll is due to lose its dedicated height appliance in September 2023. This has potentially disastrous consequences for the residents of Northwest Edinburgh and the city in general.
More generally, the SFRS are removing 10 frontline fire appliances from fire stations across Scotland. Again, this has potentially disastrous consequences for the communities affected.
The present budget is not only leading to the loss of jobs within the SFRS but, more importantly, is drastically reducing fire cover for many communities. Surely the people of Scotland deserve a fully funded fire service which can react to all emergencies irrespective of postcode?
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
735 signatures