This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fire-fighters vote to strike
18/10/2002
Deputy Justice Minister Richard Simpson today urged fire-fighters not to go through with plans for a national fire strike due to start on the 29 th October.
The Minister called on the Fire Brigades Union to participate in the independent review of the fire service and to call off a strike which would "greatly increase the risk to public safety".
Dr Simpson said:
"I am extremely disappointed that Fire Brigades Union have voted to strike. I strongly believe that the best way forward can still be found through the independent review and not through a damaging and dangerous strike.
"There is no doubt that a strike will greatly increase the risk to public safety. The Executive has worked closely with the military and emergency services to put in place the best possible contingency plans to cope with the fire strike. However the MOD will be unable to replicate fully the current firefighting capability of the local authority fire brigades; the MOD priority will be to minimise, as far as possible, the danger to human life in responding to emergency calls..
"I hope that the FBU will urgently reconsider their plan to strike and will instead cooperate with the independent review. Of course firefighters should be properly rewarded for the work that they do and that is why the Independent Review has been established.
"In the event that a fire strike does take place it will be vital that the public do all they can to stop fires occurring in the first place. The advice in the event of a fire remains the same as it has always been - Get out, stay out and call 999. You can also take other helpful precautions such as planning your escape route, buying and checking smoke alarms and taking extra care when cooking.
"In the next week the Executive will continue to work with public and private bodies to ensure they are taking all the necessary precautions. We also intend to make more information available to the public to emphasise the vitally important fire safety messages."
There will be 110 Green Goddesses deployed across Scotland during the fire strike.
Advice on how to prevent fires in your home is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/fire
Employers can also check the General Workplace Fire Precautions required by law at the above web address