A RETIRED fire chief says lives will be lost if controversial station cuts get the go-ahead and has launched a bid to help save the service in Inverclyde.
Richard Duncan, a senior firefighter with 45 years of experience, is opposing cuts to the local service and has drafted an alternative plan to keep the community and firefighters safe.
SFRS bosses have tabled controversial proposals which would mean Greenock Fire Station losing at least 10 firefighter posts, with a new crewing model being brought in for the local station’s high-reach vehicle alongside plans to reduce the number of those appliances to 14 across Scotland.
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Richard has compiled a 14-page document entitled 'An Alternative Operational Response' and sent it to the local MP, MSPs, the chief executive of Inverclyde Council and all ward councillors.
Today he issues a dire warning about what will happen if the cuts are approved.
Richard, from Gourock, told the Tele: "These cuts will cost lives.
"Any fire officer in charge of an initial response will tell you they need three things: getting to the incident as soon as possible, having enough firefighters and having the right equipment.
"These proposed cuts negatively impact on all three, that is an inescapable fact."
The plans have sparked outrage, with a petition being launched and a major demonstration held by the Fire Brigades Union this week.
Richard, who was latterly deputy to the area commander for Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire and also served as assistant operations divisional officer, said: "The end result will be that our local firefighters will be unable to carry out life saving interventions to the best of their ability, or more worryingly not at all.
"The SFRS management team and the Scottish Government will tell you that local statistics do not support that view.
"The reliance on statistics does not save lives. A properly funded and resourced fire service will."
Richard says Inverclyde has always been served by full-time firefighters with back-up support provided by retained staff, but that is now under threat.
He said: "For the first time ever in the history of Inverclyde, retained operational response cover will be greater than their full-time colleagues within Inverclyde at any given time day or night."
He is also worried that we could be on the way to the loss of one of our local stations.
He said: "I suspect the future will see the closure of at least one fire station in Inverclyde."
Richard's alternative plan argues that if the the high-reach pump is removed, it should be replaced immediately with a standard rescue pump at Greenock.
He has also suggested replacement of the rapid response unit at Gourock retained fire station with a standard rescue pump.
His blueprint for the future also involves bringing together police and fire services under one roof.
Richard is now appealing to all local politicians to fight the cuts.
He said: "I am proposing that the elected members of Inverclyde should support a joint campaign to call for the SFRS and Police Scotland to pursue co-location opportunities within Inverclyde.
"Both organisations are facing lack of capital funding to maintain and improve their ageing buildings and we need to prevent the possible closure of fire and police stations in Inverclyde."
Richard is also urging local residents to sign the online petition to stop the SFRS cuts in Inverclyde. It is available at https://chng.it/VBDfrmZK
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