Politician's fear over EU rules for fire service

NEW EUROPEAN rules limiting the hours of part-time fire fighters could have a serious impact on rescue services.

The threat to retained units has been highlighted this week by Argyll and Bute MP Alan Reid who fears the move could have serious consequences on the third emergency service - particularly in areas such as the Rosneath Peninsula and Garelochside.

The Liberal Democrat MP is leading the efforts in Parliament when the issue was due to come up for debate yesterday (Wednesday) as the Advertiser went to press.

Helensburgh and Lomond has almost 50 retained fire fighters with 15 based in Garelochhead, 11 at Arrochar, 10 at Cove and a further 10 assisting full-time crews at the Helensburgh Station.

Mr Reid wants to keep the right for key fire-fighters to opt out of the Working Time Directive which, he claims, threatens to limit their total weekly working time to 48 hours, including time spent on call.

Mr Reid is also co-sponsoring a motion which highlights a vote in the European Parliament to scrap Britain"s opt-out.

He said: 'It is clear that it would be impossible to achieve anything approaching adequate fire cover in an area like Argyll and Bute without the vital work which retained fire-fighters do.

'Their presence in so many of our communities - and especially the flexibility which they have through being able to work full-time in other professions but still respond to emergencies at all times - is a huge enhancement to the service provided and the safety of the public.

'The loss of the huge contribution retained fire-fighter make would be a disaster. Full-time fire-fighters simply could not be employed across our area with anything like the same coverage - the consequences would be slower response times and ultimately the loss of lives.'

Mr Reid said there is still work to be done on how the UK will implement any changes to the Working Time Directive.

He added: 'My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will be engaging with Ministers both in the department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) and in the Scottish Government to ensure that implementation will allow the continued operation of a fire service with Retained Firefighters at its heart.'

Mr Reid is the co-sponsor of a motion tabled in the House of Commons which reads: 'That this House notes with regret the vote by the European Parliament on December 17 2008 which voted in favour of removing Britain"s working time directive opt out, notes with serious concern the removal this opt out will have on retained Firefighters across Scotland and the consequences the removal of the opt out may have on public health and safety, notes that of 391 fire stations across Scotland 321 are staffed by 3,429 retained Firefighters, notes the valuable service these volunteer Firefighters provide to there communities, notes that the Retained Firefighters Union (RFU) oppose the removal of the opt out and that if the opt out is removed and RDS fire stations are proven unviable under the working time directive 91 per cent of the UK land mass cover will lose valuable emergency fire cover and notes the serious and potentially fatal consequences the removal will have on communities across Scotland.'

A Strathclyde Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'We are examining the implications of the Directive and we cannot say anymore at this stage.'