Fife fire shake-up: new option on table for public debate after three-year review
Less than 15 years have passed since Fife Fire and Rescue Service ceased to exist.
But the service today would be unrecognisable to those who proudly served at its Thornton HQ before it became part of the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) in 2013.
Now,a three-year long review of its operations is gradually reaching a conclusion with a third - and hopefully final - option on possible changes which will affect local stations.
The Scotland-wide Service Delivery Review ran into some hefty flak as it outlined change to Fife’s stations.
The community response was critical, while politicians were unhappy at the possible losses - former SNP MSP, Annabelle Ewing, branding plans to reduce services at Lochgelly Fife Station as “unfathomable.”
The review followed temporary appliance withdrawals and budget adjustments implemented in 2023 to address savings of some £11million. Kirkcaldy’s height appliance was removed amid more backlash - a loss that still troubles councillors.
While the SFRS board implemented many of the 23 proposals across the country, it pressed the pause button when it came to Lochgelly, Methil and Glenrothes.
The plan at Lochgelly was to cut the number of appliances from two to one, reducing crew capacity, reportedly from 45 to 25, and also remove the specialist rope rescue unit - one of only four in the country. The options also had proposed the reinstatement of a second fire appliance at either Glenrothes or Methil.
That final decision on Fife’s stations was deferred pending further three-week consultation which is now underway.
Under the new proposal from the SFRS, the temporary withdrawal of the second wholetime appliances at Glenrothes and Methil would become permanent - but there would be no changes at Lochgelly.
The removal of the appliances from Glenrothes and Methil resulted in the removal of 40 wholetime firefighter posts - but no individual jobs lost as all staff were redeployed.
If the new proposal gets the green light, it would mean no further reduction of roles in Fife.
Fire chiefs argue that operational demand at Lochgelly, Glenrothes and Methil is among the lowest of all stations with two wholetime appliances anywhere in Scotland and is more closely aligned to stations that operate with a single wholetime appliance.
They also say that an evaluation of the temporary arrangements introduced in 2023 found no evidence of adverse operational outcomes or impacts on community safety.
Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “We heard strong views from staff, communities and stakeholders about the proposed changes in Fife. We have listened carefully to that feedback and, alongside further consideration of the operational, workforce and implementation implications of the options, the Board agreed that further consultation should take place before any final decision is made.
“This consultation provides another opportunity for people to have their say and help inform the Board’s future consideration of the options.”
Underpinning the options, said Willie Pollard, deputy assistant chief officer, is a wealth of data.
He said: “A lot of evidence has been gathered through the previous consultations. People have spoken on options one and two. This further consultation on a third option
“I’d like to think this is the final consultation but that is up to the board. We have done our due diligence and curated ample evidence to support the decisions being made - 140 people took part in the public consultation and their responses have informed the board’s decision. It now wants more feedback on this third option.
“We need to give due diligence to the process, We started to engaged with everyone involved, and if we rushed then we would not have been as robust and detailed as we have been.
“Our duty is to information in as clear and transparent a way as possible, and present the evidence that supports the proposals.
The consultation runs until November 30 and members of the public can participate by completing an online survey via firescotland.gov.uk.
Two online public meetings will be held from 2:00 to 4:00pm on Monday, November 16, and from 6:00pm until 8:00pm on Tuesday 17th.
A final recommendation will then be presented to the SFRS Board for consideration in February 2027.
To register to attend an online meeting and complete the consultation survey should visit firescotland.gov.uk.