Emergency services / Fetlar fire station could close
THE POSSIBLE closure of the dormant fire station in Fetlar will feature in an upcoming Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) public consultation.
It comes as the SFRS undertakes a nationwide service delivery review.
The Fetlar station has not had a crew in place in recent years, and recruitment pushes have failed to bear fruit.
Figures presented to a meeting of the Shetland community safety and resilience board last week highlighted how there are currently zero staff at the island station.
Local senior officer for the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland Islands Bobby Lennox said: “We are currently in the midst of a service delivery review, which aims to ensure that our resources – our staff, stations and appliances – are matched to operational risk and demand across Scotland.
“We have now concluded an options appraisal and development process, and a number of change options have been recommended to progress to public consultation, which is launching later this month.
“Any permanent changes to our station footprint or how we deliver our services will only come after the public consultation process and a final decision has been made by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board.”
There have been talks around the idea of merging the Bixter and Walls stations but this will not feature in the upcoming consultation, a spokesperson confirmed.
Last year the SFRS undertook a consultation called Shaping Our Future Service which sought the public’s views on the future of the Scottish Government-funded service.
In particular it highlighted financial challenges surrounding the service’s estate, adding that “many of our ageing buildings are no longer fit for purpose and require urgent action”.
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