Future of Fetlar fire station secured

THE FUTURE of a tiny fire station on a small Shetland island has been secured following a successful recruitment drive.

Fears had been voiced that the fire station on Fetlar could face a similar fate as those on the remote islands of Skerries and Foula, which closed last year.

The station in Fetlar has not been operational for several months since the number of fire fighters fell to just two.

But a local recruitment drive in the 80-strong island community has resulted in three new recruitments plus two more candidates coming forward.

Fetlar community council vice-chairman Nic Boxall confirmed on Friday that three local women were on their way to the Scottish Fire Services College to enrol on a two-week course.

A further two islanders had sent their applications to the Highlands and Islands fire board, which could bring the number of local fire fighters up to seven, Mr Boxall said.

Shetland member of the Highlands and Islands fire board, councillor Allison Duncan, said: “This is good news for the people of Fetlar. It puts the station back to be operational.”

Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service (HIFRS) is to cease at the end of the month as the new Scotland-wide fire service takes over on 1 April.

Speaking at the last meeting of the Highlands and Islands fire board in Inverness on Friday, the chief fire officer Stewart Edgar said the service would not abandon small and rural communities.

“As a result of the close work with the local communities at Tongue and Fetlar, we have three personnel who have now completed a recruitment process run by the service for each of these stations, and the six personnel are scheduled to attend the Scottish Fire Services College for a trainee course in March/April 2013,” he said.

Meanwhile, new fire stations on Fair Isle and in Whalsay will officially be opened on Thursday 14 March.