Scott wants newly appointed fire chief to visit

MSP Tavish Scott has asked the new chief fire officer for Scotland’s single fire and rescue service Alasdair Hay to visit Shetland, following his appointment by Scottish ministers this week.

Mr Scott said: “Fire and rescue services have now been centralised. Decision-making is even further away.  So the new national fire chief should visit Shetland and reassure local people about his plans for retained fire fighters and the individual stations.  Local staff and the acting fire and rescue management in Inverness have worked ahead recently to support Shetland fire fighting cover.

“Training is now predominately at the new Sumburgh centre which makes the commitment that men and women make to the service a little easier in terms of their time and travel. But the new National Chief Fire Officer has been told to save £300 million.

“That is an enormous amount of money and I do not want to see local people put at risk by ill-thought-out plans to close local stations.  Shetland has had that threat before and it is important the new chief reassures us all there will be no repetition of those proposals.”