One in five fire engines more than 20 years old, figures show

The Government has been accused of “chronic neglect” of the fire service after figures showed one in five of the fire engines in operation in Scotland is more than 20 years old.

Data released to the Scottish Conservatives under freedom of information legislation shows 97 of the 480 appliances operated by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has been around for two decades or more.

The oldest entered service in February 2000, more than 25 years ago, while another used for training is 28 years old.

Nearly three-quarters are more than 10 years old, while the statistics show there has been just one new appliance to enter service in the past two years.

Scottish Tory community safety spokeswoman Sharon Dowey said: “These damning figures lay bare the scale of the SNP’s chronic neglect of Scotland’s fire engine fleet.

“The safety of our dedicated firefighters, and the public who rely on them in emergency situations, must never be compromised.

“But that is exactly what nationalist ministers are doing by failing to provide them with modern and reliable fire engines to adequately protect the public.

“Years of SNP budget cuts are biting across our emergency services. It’s deeply concerning that just one new fire engine has come into service in the last two years.

“Hard-working Scots will rightfully ask where their money is going, given they are paying higher taxes than anyone else in the UK.

“SNP ministers must prioritise delivering the resources necessary to upgrade this ageing fleet to one that is resilient and fit for purpose.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This year’s Budget includes £412.2 million for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) – an increase of £18.8 million.

“This includes an increase from £43 million to £47 million in capital funding, which will allow the service to invest more in property, fleet and equipment.

“The allocation of resources, including equipment and appliances, is an operational matter for SFRS.”

Ijaz Bashir, head of asset management at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It is well documented that SFRS has an insurmountable capital backlog of more than £800 million, which includes our vehicles.

“Since 2016, the size of our fleet has increased from 1,277 to 1585 vehicles. We are currently rolling out the replacement of 20 new 15-tonne medium rescue appliances, replacing end-of-life vehicles across Scotland.

“Moving forward we have planned for the introduction of 30 new 18-tonne rescue pumps, 12 new 7-tonne light pumping appliances, and four new technical rope rescue units.

“We will prioritise spend where required and have been clear that continued investment is necessary to ensure that we have the right stations, facilities and vehicles fit for the 21st century.”