The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is expected to publish recommendations of a lengthy service review by the end of the month. Many within the service fear cutbacks.
Councillors have backed a call for guarantees that no West Lothian community with a fire station will see it closed following a review of service.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is expected to publish recommendations of a lengthy service review by the end of the month. Many within the service fear cutbacks.
Conservative Angela Doran-Timson raised a motion at the full council stating: “Public safety must not be compromised by funding pressures.”
Proposals were initially expected before the Holyrood election however the SFRS said in February that it would need more time to collate the responses and set a new publication date for late June.
Councillor Doran Timson’s motion said: “Council recognises the vital role of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in protecting communities across West Lothian and Scotland.
“ It notes the ongoing Service Delivery Review, including proposals to close, merge or relocate fire stations, and the significant concern these have raised regarding resilience, response times, and local fire cover.
“The delay in final decisions until after the Scottish Parliament election has prolonged uncertainty for both communities and staff.
“There is concern that sustained real-terms budget pressures from the Scottish Government are influencing these proposals, raising the risk that financial constraints, rather than operational need, could impact public safety.
“Public safety must not be compromised by funding pressures, and communities must have confidence in the services they rely on.”
The motion called for the Chief Executive to write to the First Minister: “To seek an explicit guarantee that no fire station closures or service reductions will take place where they would increase response times or reduce public safety and to raise concerns regarding any proposals that would reduce frontline fire service capacity in West Lothian and across Scotland.”
The motion also called for clarity on the financial pressures driving the review.
SNP councillors defended the Scottish Government’s investment record and tabled an amendment. Councillor Janet Campbell said “Under the SNP Scottish Government the SFRS is major public success story widely celebrated for its modernisation transformation into a unified national organisation.
“Its shift toward proactive community safety represents a landmark achievement in emergency flexible response.
“Formation enabled resources optimisation and eliminated post code lottery in response and ensured consistent high value service across 55,000 kilometres or roads. The most significant success lies in preventative approach The service has cut the number of accidental dwelling fires to historic lows with a reduction of 18 % in the last decade.”
SNP councillors earned a rebuke from the Provost Councillor Cathy Muldoon, chairing the meeting, for their sniggering and exaggerated coughing as Councillor Doran-Timson made her final plea for support. The motion was passed.
A spokesperson for the SFRS told the the Local Democracy Reporting Service there is no confirmed date for issuing the results of the review.
In February the SFRS said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has confirmed that final decisions on proposed changes to more than 30 fire stations across Scotland will be made after the Scottish Parliament election, with outcomes expected by the end of June.
“As part of its Service Delivery Review, SFRS consulted on 23 potential options for change during summer 2025.
“The 12-week consultation received more than 3,700 responses from the public, staff and stakeholders. This feedback is currently being analysed alongside the operational evidence that informed the proposals.
It added: “There are statutory restrictions that prevent public bodies such as SFRS from making significant announcements or policy decisions during the pre-election period, which commences in March.”
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