Height appliance moved from Kirkcaldy station hours after tackling Kitty’s blaze

The height appliance move was one of a number of contentious changes which came into force today as the Scottish Fire And Rescue Service (SFRS) has to find £11m in savings this year, and some £36m over the next four years.

Second or third appliances were also removed from stations in Methil, Glenrothes and Dunfermline - “temporary” moves designed to last up to one year - with the Scottish Government’s flat cash settlement at the root cause of the changes which sparked a huge backlash among politicians and firefighters.

Kirkcaldy’s height appliance has been part of the station for decades, and its move was part of the service’s bid to modernise, but once which faced strong opposition from the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) which warned that the cuts will leave scars.

It’s last call-out before being removed from the town was to make the two-minute journey to Kitty’s where it was a key part in the firefighters’ bid to bring the major blaze under control.

Gregg Campbell, Kirkcaldy branch secretary of the FBU, said: “Derelict buildings have a lot of inherent dangers for firefighters. The structures themselves can pose many dangers, from exposed electrical wiring, holes or missing flooring, vandalism, or the structure itself being in a dangerous condition to the point of collapse.

“This is why is safer for firefighters to fight the fires in these kind of buildings externally. This is where height appliances like Kirkcaldy's aerial ladder platform come into their own. They keep firefighters safe, and can get thousands of litres of water at the fire.”He added: “Removing Kirkcaldy's height appliance, only increases the risk to public and firefighters in Fife and beyond. The FBU opposes the removal of this appliance and the fire engines from Methil, Glenrothes and Dunfermline.”

Councillor Ian Cameron, who is convener of Kirkcaldy area committee, said: “Firefighters put their lives on the line again and this event represented a final plea from the town to keep a height appliance here in Kirkcaldy. The fire, all be it in an uninhabited building, was a brutal reinforcement of how important a quick response can be.”