Scottish Borders (Hawick, Galashiels)

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 the Scottish Borders, this included one option for change involving two fire stations in Hawick and Galashiels.

In June 2025, a suite of recommendations was 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 the Scottish Borders:

• Proceed to introduce Day Shift Duty System (DSDS) 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. 

*SFRS is committed to explore a range of DSDS and on call support options in response to consultation feedback

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 the Scottish Borders, this included:

• Two public meetings held in Hawick on 19 August 2025. In total there were 107 attendees (31 and 76).
• One drop-in session held in Galashiels on 20 August 2025 with six attendees.

Out of the two appliances at Hawick one is crewed by wholetime firefighters and the other crewed by on call firefighters. Hawick has the second lowest operational demand of all similar stations that have two appliances. In the five-year period between 2018-19 and 2022-23, Hawick had 1,927 mobilisations compared to 8,401 in Bathgate; 22% mobilisation compared to station with highest demand. 

Operational demand is more aligned to the busiest on call stations elsewhere in Scotland, and there are eight solely on call stations with stations with a higher demand than existing model at Hawick; three with only one on call appliance.

Due to various factors the option to introduce Day Shift Duty System as an enhancement that will maintain a wholetime presence during the day when demand is highest and most prevention and training activities can be undertaken.

Hawick’s roof structure is affected by RAAC and urgent repairs are required. SFRS has been unable to begin repair work until a decision is made on the station configuration and duty system.

Galashiels is in a prime location to support on call availability across the local area. The station has received a refurbishment costing approximately £3.6 million

Pros

• Operational resources better matched to risk and demand.
• Repairs to the roof structure caused by RAAC will be repaired at Hawick and the station will be upgraded.
• A pool of wholetime staff at Galashiels would be tactically deployed to on call stations in the area to maintain availability during the day and enhanced prevention delivery.
• Around 12 staff would be transferred into other roles across training, prevention and operational resilience.
• Around £478k reduction and redirection in resource costs.
• Maintain wholetime appliance availability within required operational tolerances, ensuring resilience in frontline response
• Support on call availability challenges during peak day-time periods 
• Enhanced workforce skills development and firefighter safety, supporting a more flexible and capable workforce 

Cons

• Increase in first appliance response times outside of day shift hours in the Hawick area.