Fire service in need of government rescue - Alex Cole-Hamilton
This year alone, firefighters have responded to major emergencies ranging from the wildfire on Arthur's Seat to the devastating blaze that affected businesses on Princes Street. Scotland's fire service is increasingly being asked to do far more with far less.
Ahead of Bonfire Night, I challenged the First Minister on how far crew shortages are preventing larger fire stations from operating their second fire engines. These stations should have at least two appliances ready to respond at all times, but in many cases, there are simply not enough firefighters available to crew them.
Freedom of Information requests submitted by the Scottish Liberal Democrats revealed that several permanently crewed fire stations are frequently unable to operate a second appliance. In Edinburgh, McDonald Road's second engine was unavailable for almost 23 per cent of the last financial year, while Crewe Toll's was unavailable 18 per cent of the time and Sighthill's more than 20 per cent.
This is not an isolated problem. Scottish Liberal Democrat research has also highlighted more than 1,000 vacancies among Scotland's retained and on-call firefighters. Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request in August 2026 revealed vacancies equivalent to around 31 per cent of the total establishment. Together, these figures paint a worrying picture of a service under significant strain.
This is a serious operational problem that could have devastating consequences when multiple incidents occur at the same time. Major emergencies do not happen one at a time. When large fires break out, communities need confidence that every available appliance can be deployed quickly and effectively. Right now, that confidence is being undermined by persistent staffing shortages.
It is now more important than ever that fire services receive the resources they need to keep communities safe and ensure residents feel protected. Firefighters should never have to watch a blaze worsen, or be forced to prioritise between incidents, because the Scottish Government has failed to provide adequate funding.
The Scottish Government has a responsibility to keep people safe, and one of the most important ways it can do that is by properly funding our emergency services.
The bravery, professionalism and dedication of Scotland's firefighters are beyond question. Time and again, they put themselves in harm's way to protect lives, homes and businesses. What is in question is whether the Scottish Government is providing them with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.
Ministers can no longer afford to look the other way. The warning signs are clear: fire engines sitting unavailable, firefighter vacancies remaining unfilled and services stretched ever thinner.
Scotland's firefighters have shown they are ready to answer the call whenever danger strikes. The Scottish Government must now show the same commitment by delivering the funding, staffing and support they need. Public safety depends on it.