The primary aim is to ensure that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) resources – including staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.
The proposed changes are spread across 14 different local authority areas and involve more than 30 fire stations.
The full list of options include: the potential closure of eight long term dormant fire stations and a further five city-based sites – two in Edinburgh, two in Glasgow and one in Dundee. Some fire stations may be merged with sites nearby.
There are also plans to repair or rebuild in some locations, as well as transfer staff and appliances to more effective locations.
Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We have an opportunity for the first time since our national service was formed in 2013 to review how we provide our emergency service every minute of the day, every day of the year.
“Building a modern fire and rescue service that is fit for purpose is the reason we are bringing these proposed changes forward.
“We recognise that these 23 options represent a significant level of change. However, we have a duty to ensure that the right resources are in the right locations to meet new risks that exist within today’s communities.
“We also need to spend public money wisely. We have a backlog of repairs in our buildings, fleet and equipment that would cost more than £800 million to address and this just isn’t an option available to our service. Therefore, along with the need for sustained investment we need to consider how we operate and reduce running costs for assets that are not serving our staff or communities.
“We must also be able to adapt to meet current and future risks, such as those posed by extreme weather events or wildfires.”
Service Delivery Review – a public consultation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Long term dormant fire stations have been non-operational for many years due to recruitment difficulties for on call firefighters in rural places. In some of these locations, there are sheds or storage units.
Five other fire stations across Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow have been identified as potential closures or mergers because they are located close to other facilities that could provide effective cover, or the operational demand is lower than other fire stations with the same level of resources.
Implementing a day duty shift pattern in targeted areas would see wholetime firefighters working between 8am and 6pm, supported by on call firefighters outwith those times.
A nucleus crew could be placed in two locations – Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire.
A nucleus crew is made up of wholetime firefighters who can be tactically deployed across an area to carry our prevention work, provide additional resilience and respond to incidents during the day when on call availability can often be low.
Permanent solutions are being proposed following the temporary withdrawal of ten appliances in 2023, including Perth & Kinross, Fife, Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Glasgow.
CO Stevens added: “These options have been developed over many months involving staff, trade union representatives and other stakeholders.
“There will be a 12-week period to give people time to submit their views on the changes.
“We would encourage as many people as possible to participate in public consultation process.”
View all 23 options for change.
You can share your views through our online survey on CitizenSpace.
In addition to this online survey, we will be running a series of public engagement events in communities across Scotland.