widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

Emergency services / Local fire service to take delivery of three new appliances

New cutting equipment and thermal imaging cameras are also in line for appliances – but there are financial challenges ahead for the service

THREE new fire appliances worth around £500,000 each will be introduced into Shetland in the coming months.

The news was confirmed at a meeting of Shetland’s community safety and resilience and board on Wednesday – but the stations which they will be delivered to was not revealed.

Local senior officer for Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles Iain Macleod said it would be a “nice Christmas present” for some local stations.

He said new appliances are also designated for Orkney and the Western Isles.

Macleod also told board members that investment is going into new “heavy duty” electric cutting equipment for road accidents, and thermal imaging cameras.

The board heard that in time all Shetland appliances should have this gear.

Macleod said a thermal imaging camera for example would cost around £2,000 to £3,000.

But the meeting also heard of the impending financial challenge on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service due to the Scottish Government’s spending review.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Macleod said the national fire budget stands to take a hit of between £12 million and £18 million.

On top of this is the price of running the fire service – fuel costs have increased by 60 per cent and electricity by 30 per cent, Macleod said.

However he reassured the board that he is not aware of any threat to the local service in Shetland.

Macleod said the team in Shetland is relatively small – with 14 stations and around 150 staff – and he could not envisage how this model “could be further eroded in order to make savings.”

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.