tayside to share rescue services with Fife and Central Scotland

Nov 24 2009 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

COUNCILLORS have unanimously backed plans for a “shared services initiative” covering the fire and rescue services in Tayside, Fife and Central Scotland.

The move could see responses to major incidents such as terrorist attacks and major chemical spillages shared by the three services.

Other work such as payroll and IT could also be pooled.

And it could happen as early as January, 2010, a meeting of the Tayside Fire and Rescue Board was told in Forfar this week.

In a report to the meeting, Tayside’s Chief Fire Officer Stephen Hunter explained: “Public services have a duty to deliver Best Value to the communities they serve.

“An inevitable consequence of the current economic climate will be a reduction in public sector funding.

“It is therefore imperative public sector organisations identify all the avenues available to achieve efficiencies.

“The challenge to public sector leaders is to maintain, and if possible continue to develop, service quality within this financially constrained operating environment.

“This proposal will enable Tayside Fire and Rescue to achieve further efficiencies without the need to compromise on the effectiveness and quality of the services we deliver to the communities we serve.”

The fire chief explained that, over recent years, through their Towards A Safer Tayside Action Planning process, they had achieved annual cash savings of £845,000 and annual non-cashable efficiency gains of £2 million.

“These savings have been achieved without affecting the quality of services we deliver to our communities,” he asserted.”

The Fife and Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Boards are due to consider the initiative at forthcoming meetings.

Mr Hunter concluded: “Within the current economic operating environment, Tayside Fire and Rescue seeks to continue to achieve greater levels of effectiveness.

“Participation in this Shared Services Initiative with Fife and Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Services will ensure that service quality can be maintained whilst exploring every avenue available to achieve greater levels of efficiency.”

The introduction of the first shared services facility is planned for next January, with further shared services rolled out from April, 2010, onwards.