Hamilton Fire Station will see the withdrawal of appliances on ‘temporary basis’ in bid to tackle budget crisis

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Hamilton Fire Station is one of several across Scotland that will see the withdrawal of appliances on a ‘temporary basis’ in an effort to tackle a budget crisis.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is projected to receive a flat cash budget settlement from the Scottish Government for the next four years and is subsequently having to make £36 million of cuts over this time, including £11 million in 2023/4 alone.The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is now calling on its members and the communities they serve to lobby the government for increased investment and an end to the “systematic underfunding” of SFRS.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android FBU Scottish Secretary John McKenzie said: “The withdrawal of appliances at these stations is the latest in a long line of cuts that are undermining our members’ ability to respond to incidents in the communities we serve.

We cannot go on like this, enough is enough.“Over the coming weeks and months, we will be lobbying the Scottish Government, MSPs and local councillors to alert them to this crisis and seek their support to bring about change.“There is no hiding place for our elected representatives any more, this is too important for that.”The SFRS said the appliances will be withdrawn on a temporary basis from stations in Maryhill, Govan and Cowcaddens in