Fire union attacks death rate

Firefighters are in dispute over pay and conditions

Scotland's firefighters have used new figures on fire deaths to attack the government over plans to reform the service.

A report for the year 2001 showed that fire deaths in Scotland were more than double the rate for the rest of the United Kingdom.

The statistics show a rise in the number of deaths north of the border with 103 people losing their lives in 2001, compared to 75 the year before.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) used the figures to repeat its call for the government to "back off" in its bid to introduce cuts to existing fire cover.

'Sheer madness'

The proposed cuts are at the heart of the union's stand-off with the government over pay.

The FBU executive is meeting employers this week to discuss the long-running dispute.

FBU Scottish chair Roddy Robertson said it would be "sheer madness" to consider reducing fire cover when the government's own statistics showed an increasing workload on the existing service.

And he said figures in the Fire Statistics United Kingdom, 2001 publication strengthened the union's argument against "ill-conceived" cuts.

"The alarming fire death statistics - particularly for Scotland - show there is a desperate need to retain and even enhance fire cover for the public," said Mr Robertson.

The public are already at increased risk during the night - we can't let the government increase that risk any further.

Roddy Robertson
FBU Scottish chair

"Surely enough people are dying in fires - let's not risk any more lives through an ill-conceived and ill-informed cost-cutting exercise."

The figures show Scotland at the top of the UK fire deaths table with 20.3 fire deaths per million of the population.

In England and Wales the figure is 9.6.

There were 59,421 fires in Scotland during 2001 - an increase of 3,721 on the previous year.

Mr Robertson attacked the government's plans to reduce night-time fire cover across the country.

"Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's own publication shows that the majority of fire casualties right across the country are at night," he said.

"The public are already at increased risk during the night - we can't let the government increase that risk any further. "