SFRS Board to consider Service Delivery Review recommendations
The Board will meet next Monday (22 June) to consider the outcome of the Service Delivery Review.
A suite of recommendations on proposed changes to more than 30 fire stations across Scotland has been submitted to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board for decision.
The Board will meet on Monday, 22 June to consider the outcome of the nationwide Service Delivery Review (SDR).
SFRS is carrying out a Service Delivery Review to look at ways of reshaping and modernising the organisation. The primary aim is to ensure that resources – staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.
The recommendations have been developed from 23 options for change consulted on during summer 2025.
They have been informed by extensive feedback from communities, staff and stakeholders, alongside detailed operational, financial and equality analysis.
SFRS Chief Officer Stuart Stevens said: “The Service Delivery Review is about ensuring we have a fire and rescue service that is fit for the future – one that responds to changing risks and continues to protect people, communities and firefighters across Scotland.
“We recognise that these proposals represent significant change, and we have listened carefully to the strength of feeling expressed by local communities, our staff and stakeholders throughout the consultation process. That feedback has helped to inform the recommendations now being considered by the Board.
“Our priority throughout has been, and remains, public and firefighter safety. These proposals are focused on ensuring our resources are in the right places to meet risk and demand, while maintaining an effective, equitable and resilient emergency service for all of Scotland’s communities.
“It is important to emphasise that no final decisions have yet been taken. All recommendations remain subject to full consideration and approval by the SFRS Board.”
List of recommendations in full:
Long-term dormant stations (without staff):
- Proceed to close the long-term dormant station at Crianlarich (Stirlingshire)
- Proceed to close the long-term dormant station on the isle of Fetlar (Shetland)
- Proceed to close the long-term dormant station at Nethy Bridge (Highland)
- Proceed to close the long-term dormant station at Ratagan (Highland)
- Proceed to close the long-term dormant station on the Isle of Muck (Highland)
Long-term dormant stations (with employees and no applicants):
- Approve the commencement of redundancy consultation with affected staff on the potential closure of Colintraive (Argyll and Bute) which has employees but no prospective applicants, to inform final decision pending the outcome of employee consultation.
- Approve the commencement of redundancy consultation with affected staff on the potential closure of Corriecravie (isle of Arran, North Ayrshire), which has employees but no prospective applicants, to inform final decision pending the outcome of employee consultation.
Long-term dormant stations (with employees and applicants):
- Approve the commencement of redundancy consultation at this point with affected staff on the potential closure of Kerrera (Argyll and Bute), which has employees and applicants but insufficient potential for long term sustainability, to inform final decision pending the outcome of employee consultation.
East Service Delivery Area
- Proceed to close Musselburgh which has one appliance that is crewed by wholetime firefighters. Move this appliance to a new-build two appliance station at Tranent, with one crewed by wholetime firefighters and one crewed by on call firefighters; AND introduce additional wholetime day shift resource to support on call capacity in East Lothian and resilience more widely.
- Do not proceed with the Edinburgh component (Marionville and Newcraighall).
Fife:
- Proceed to permanently replace the third appliance at Dunfermline which was a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP), with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and replaced with an HRA in September 2023; AND
- Defer decision on the remainder of the options pending further consideration of an alternative proposal to permanently implement the current temporary wholetime pump withdrawal configuration. This reduced the number of wholetime appliances at both Glenrothes AND Methil from two to one.
- Proceed to introduce Day Shift Duty System crewing for the 1st pumping appliance at Hawick, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see this appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during the day from Monday to Friday. It would be crewed by on call firefighters out with these times. The second appliance would continue to be crewed by on call firefighters; AND
- As an amendment to the proposed Nucleus Crew at Galashiels, there is a commitment to explore arrangements for deploying additional wholetime employees in support of on call availability during day shift hours when this is most challenging.
North Service Delivery Area
- Proceed to remove the wholetime appliance from Balmossie and maintain one on call appliance at the station; AND
- Reinstate the second wholetime appliance at Kingsway East that was temporarily removed in September 2023.
- Proceed to replace the third appliance at Perth, which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The pumping capability of the third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and only its HRA capability has been utilised since September 2023. The CARP will be replaced with a dedicated HRA as part of the height strategy which will see six new HRAs enter service over the next three financial years.
West Service Delivery Area
- Proceed to introduce Day Shift Duty System crewing for the first appliance at Helensburgh, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during the day from Monday to Friday and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours. The second on call appliance would remain unchanged.
- Proceed to introduce Day Shift Duty System crewing for the appliance at Milngavie, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during the day from Monday to Friday and crewed by on call firefighters out with these hours.
- Proceed to rebuild Cowcaddens on the adjacent Maitland Street site. Reinstate the second wholetime pumping appliance that was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
- Close Yorkhill which has one wholetime pumping appliance based there; AND
- Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Govan from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023; AND
- Reduce the number of wholetime pumping appliances based at Springburn from two to one; AND
- Reinstate the second wholetime appliance at Maryhill that was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023.
- Proceed to replace the second wholetime appliance at Greenock, which is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP) with a dedicated high reach appliance (HRA). The pumping capability of the second wholetime appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and only its HRA capability has been utilised since September 2023. The CARP will be replaced with a dedicated HRA as part of the height strategy which will see six new HRAs enter service over the next three financial years.
- Proceed to introduce Day Shift Duty System crewing for the second appliance at Cumbernauld, which is currently crewed by wholetime firefighters. This would see that appliance crewed by wholetime firefighters during the day from Monday to Friday and crewed by on call firefighters out with these times. The first wholetime appliance would be unchanged; AND
- Reduce the number of wholetime appliances based at Hamilton from two to one. The second appliance was temporarily withdrawn in September 2023.