Perth & Kinross (Perth)

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (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.

During summer 2025, SFRS consulted on a series of changes involving more than 30 fire stations across Scotland. In Perth and Kinross, this included one option for change that involves one fire station in Perth.

In June 2025, a suite of recommendations were presented to the SFRS Board for decision, informed by feedback from communities, staff and stakeholders alongside operational, financial and equality evidence.

The following change was approved for implementation in Perth:

• 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 The pumping capability of the third appliance (CARP) was temporarily withdrawn and only its HRA capability has been utilised since September 2023.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.

The proposed changes were put forward as part of a 12-week public consultation between June and September 2025. Engagement activity included public meetings and drop-in sessions across affected communities, attended by more than 800 people across Scotland, alongside a public survey which generated more than 3,600 responses. 

In Perth and Kinross, this included: 

• A drop-in session was held at the AK Bell Library in Perth on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, with 19 attendees.

The operational demand of Perth, with three wholetime appliances, is lower than most fire stations with two wholetime appliances.

Modelling shows that two appliances would align with local risk and demand. The third vehicle is a combined aerial rescue pump (CARP), which are all being phased out and replaced with dedicated high reach appliances, based in selected locations across Scotland. The CARP has been temporarily crewed as a dedicated high reach appliance since September 2023, and a permanent solution is required.

Pros

• Matches operational resources with local risk and demand.
• Makes permanent the essential saving achieved in 2023 by temporarily replacing CARP crewing with dedicated high reach appliance crewing.

Cons

• Increase in third appliance response times in local area.