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Scotsman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Lengthening wait times for fire and rescue service show ministers must get their priorities straight
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Under normal circumstances, one minute and twenty-nine seconds may not seem like a very long time. But, for those who find themselves in need of Scotland's Fire and Rescue Service, it no doubt feels far longer. New figures released under Freedom of Information laws reveal today that the average time for a fire appliance to arrive at the scene after a 999 call in 2024 was eight minutes and 20 seconds - up from six minutes and 51 seconds in 2014. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Conservatives, who obtained the figures, claim the increased response time stems from a reduction in Scottish Government funding of £57 million over the same period, during which time the number of firefighters fell by almost 1,000. In addition, 18 fire stations have no running water and most fire engines are more than ten years old. When questioned over cuts to public spending, Scottish ministers instinctively claim they are constrained by inadequate funding from the UK government and complain they do not have access to enough 'levers' to control the nation's finances better. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And yet the devolution settlement is at a record high, and the Scottish Government has powers over taxation that mean Scotland is the most heavily taxed part of the UK. Question of priorities With this being the case, critics can with some justification question whether ministers should be making cutbacks to a service that is so often the difference between life and death in emergency incidents. At some point - a point we have arguably already passed - raising taxes becomes counterproductive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And perhaps at another point, the size of Scotland's public sector will have to stop increasing. Meanwhile, ministers may have to take a closer look at how effectively public money is being spent. Universal benefits such as 'free' prescriptions and university tuition may need to be reassessed.
New Indian Express
01-07-2025
- New Indian Express
TN fire cracker unit explosion: Eight killed, three critically injured; CM announces solatium
Upon receiving information, Fire and Rescue Service personnel rushed to the spot and doused the fire. The bodies of the deceased were sent to the Government Hospital in Sivakasi for post mortem. The injured are being treated in Sivakasi and Madurai. Sattur Town police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Preliminary investigations revealed that the unit is PESO-licensed. Expressing 'shock' and grief over the tragic incident, Chief Minister M K Stalin said he has ordered the officials to provide a solatium of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The CM announced a relief of Rs one lakh each to those who were seriously injured and undergoing treatment in the hospital, besides Rs 50,000 to those who sustained simple injuries and were admitted to the hospital, an official release said.
Al-Ahram Weekly
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Five Israelis killed in Iranian missile strike on Israel hours before Trump-declared ceasefire began - Region
An Iranian ballistic missile struck a residential building in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba early Tuesday, killing at least five people and wounding 20 others — just hours before a Trump-declared ceasefire between Iran and Israel came into effect. Air raid sirens sounded across northern and southern Israel around 5:00am local time, shortly before the impacts. The Israeli army said Iran launched between 10 and 15 ballistic missiles in six salvos, according to statements carried by local media. The attack lasted more than an hour, Al Jazeera reported. Emergency services responded to multiple strike sites, including the heavily damaged apartment block in Beersheba. Firefighters and Home Front Command soldiers later recovered the body of a fifth victim from the rubble, according to the Fire and Rescue Service. Two of the wounded were reported in moderate condition. The strikes occurred four hours after US President Donald Trump said at 1:00am Cairo Local Time (CLT) that Iran and Israel had agreed to a truce. He declared the ceasefire officially in effect at 8:08am CLT. Israel confirmed its acceptance around 9:10am CLT. Iran, however, denied that any agreement had been reached. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would halt its operations only if Israel ended its 'illegal aggression.' Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Middle East Eye
24-06-2025
- Middle East Eye
Death toll from Iran missile strike on Israel rises to five
The number of people killed in the Iranian missile strike on an apartment block in Beersheba has climbed to five, according to Israel's Fire and Rescue Service, the Times of Israel reported. Twenty others were injured in the attack, with two reported to be in moderate condition.
ITV News
19-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Scottish Fire and Rescue paying 'buckets of money' to private company due to staff sickness
Scotland's Fire and Rescue Service is paying 'buckets of money' to a private company to run its wellbeing department – because so many staff members are off sick or have quit. ITV Border can reveal that Heales Medical is providing key services because of absences and resignation. It follows our investigation earlier this year, which revealed that one in five people working for the fire service had either experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment. Simon Macfarlane, of the trade union Unison, said: 'We know there's a real issue with the culture in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and that's evident in the wellbeing department because it's certainly not living up to his name. 'Our members have taken tribunals, they've left employment and they've put in a collective grievance.' He said an internal investigation had been carried out into how wellbeing service was run and making changes to service as a result. Heales were initially brought in to help deal with firefighters and staff members' records failing to meet 'the required standard'. This was in November and the firm's remit has expanded significantly as workers in the occupational health department were signed off or quit altogether. Macfarlane added: 'We're meeting the service [on Thursday] to discuss pay and I can anticipate they'll be telling us they don't have enough money. 'Yet there's buckets of money going out the door to Heales to provide a service that there are staff – our members – trained and well equipped to do. 'If we want to keep firefighters safe, it's better having staff who are motivated by public service than private profit to do that work.' In April, an ITV Border investigation uncovered a 'toxic' culture and a series of concerns around discrimination and harassment which has worsened in recent years. Multiple frontline firefighters and civilian staff have raised concerns internally either through formal grievance procedures, informally notifying managers or in some cases submitting dossiers chronicling instances of individuals being targeted in ways that were perceived as being unfair. At that time, first minister John Swinney said he was 'concerned' by the report and urged the fire service to address the concerns. A report was published on Wednesday by HM Fire Inspectorate in Scotland about the service's culture. It made a series of recommendations and 'areas for consideration' and finished by saying: 'We would encourage the service, its managers and commanders to consider clearly articulating and acknowledging, through relevant communication, that everyone's contribution is equally important and valued.' Brian Whittle, the South Scotland MSP and Conservative public health spokesman, said: 'There's a certain irony that the people who are supposed to keep people in the fire and rescue safe are the ones that are off ill at the moment. 'It is a worry. It speaks to a wider problem, it speaks to stress, it speaks to strain on the system, it speaks to the cuts that have been made to the system over a period of time by the SNP.' Fiona Ross, the fire service's director of people said: 'During an audit of our health assessment records, we identified a number of records which did not meet the required standard. 'We have notified all colleagues whose records are impacted. An in-depth recovery plan is being implemented, and we are taking steps to ensure this does not happen again. 'This includes moving all records to an electronic system and a review of our governance and auditing processes. 'The health and safety of our employees is the utmost priority. We have contacted the Health and Safety Executive and aim to resolve the situation as quickly and effectively as practicable, while ensuring we continue to deliver our emergency response.' She added: 'We have built upon an existing working relationship with Heales Medical to assist us in this process. 'We explored options with other external providers. However, due to the vast size of the SFRS and geographical spread, it has been difficult to find providers to support the full extent we require.'
