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Funding for fire and rescue
31/03/2008
A £6.8 million funding package for new fire and rescue capital projects was announced today.
Around £5 million will be invested in new and refurbished fire stations throughout Scotland, improving conditions for retained firefighters and providing investment that will save resources in the future.
Some £1.5 million will be earmarked to enhance national resilience across all eight Fire & Rescue Authorities in Scotland. This equipment will enhance local and national capacity to respond to threats.
Other projects include an electronic management system for the retained duty system and a new fire appliance vehicle.
The allocations announced today are part of the £24.6m capital funding earmarked to support Scotland's fire and rescue services in the Spending Review 2007 settlement.
Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing said:
"Our firefighters play a vital role in building a safer, stronger Scotland. They are often the real local heroes in our communities - educating the public about fire prevention, tackling fires when they do happen and leading other rescue work, including flooding, road traffic accidents and other emergencies.
"The Scottish Government is committed to continuing the modernisation of our fire and rescue services and we're matching that commitment with investment. An important strand of that is capital funding, so I'm delighted to announce details of the projects which will benefit from part of that funding.
"These projects will help further improve the fire and rescue service across the country and support our shared determination to make our communities safer.
"They will enhance fire and rescue capability and improve station facilities for staff and the public. However, they also reflect the critical importance of securing best value in what is by any standard a tight budget settlement.
"The combination of professionalism from the service, together with the Scottish Government's support for it, will help give the people of Scotland even greater protection from fire and other risks."
The successful local projects announced today are funded from £6.8m available to help Fire & Rescue Authorities with specific capital projects in 2008-09. Priority has been given to bids which: support national resilience, are 'invest to save' initiatives; and support staff on the Retained Duty System.
The money is part of the £24.6 million capital funding available to the support the service next year, as announced in the Spending Review 2007 settlement. Most (£15.8 million) of the balance will be allocated to all eight FRAs over the year - with a further £2 million specifically earmarked to support projects that evolve from the ongoing analysis of training needs in the fire and rescue service in Scotland that aim towards the creation of a strategic approach to training delivery in the longer term.
The approach on training reflects the shared view expressed at the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Fire and Rescue Service of the need for a joint Scottish Government and Local Government strategy for investment in training facilities was required to secure best value within the current tight budget settlement
Details of today's top-slice capital funding awards are:
- Fife - £1,373,000 to build a new fire station at Pitreavie.
- Grampian - £2,150,000 to help fund the building of a replacement fire station at North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen - due for completion in 2008/09 and £35,000 to provide an electronic availability system for the retained duty system.
- Highlands & Islands - £900,000 to build new retained duty system fire stations at Tongue and Rousay (Orkney).
- Strathclyde - £559,000 to replace Cambuslang and Parkhead with a new station.
- Tayside - £260,000 to provide a fire appliance.
- National Resilience - £1,508,000 to fund enhancements in our national resilience.
A further £2 million is being committed to training needs development, with the remaining balance (£15,815,000) of capital funding for 2008/09 allocated as follows:
- Central Scotland - £892,000
- Dumfries & Galloway - £623,000
- Fife - £976,000
- Grampian - £1,693,000
- Highlands & Islands - £1,867,000
- Lothian & Borders - £2,189,000
- Strathclyde - £6,227,000
- Tayside - £1,348,000