Inspection of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service: East Service Delivery Area

11. The East Service Delivery Area, shaded in red in figure 1 serves a population of 1.7 million people, and covers an area of some 10,424 square kilometres. East area crews are based at 65 fire stations. As at 31 March 2022 1,427 SFRS service delivery personnel* were based in the East, of those, 1,412 are uniformed staff.

*Total Full Time Equivalent provided by LSO Area by SFRS. There may be a slight variance in total numbers due to rounding.

Figure 1 Scottish Council Area Boundaries: East SDA

12. The area is made up of the following local authorities; the City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Stirling, and West Lothian.

13. There are four Area Commanders who are designated, under the Fire (Scotland) Act, as local senior officers (LSOs). These LSOs lead the management of the SFRS's activities in the East. They each have responsibility for the SFRS activities in allocated local authority areas. Excluding the City of Edinburgh (CoE), which has its own LSO, the other local authority areas are grouped into larger LSO areas: Stirling, Clackmannanshire and Fife (SCF), Falkirk and West Lothian (FWL) and Midlothian, East Lothian and the Scottish Borders (MELSB).

LSO Area Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Fife (SCF)

Stirling

14. There are ten fire stations in the Stirling area: one, Stirling, is staffed by Wholetime personnel; the remaining nine, Aberfoyle, Balfron, Bridge of Allan, Callander, Crianlarich, Doune, Dunblane, Killin and Tyndrum, are staffed by On-Call personnel. Across the ten stations there are eleven fire appliances, one water rescue unit and one wildfire unit.

Clackmannanshire

15. There are two fire stations in the Clackmannanshire area: Alloa is staffed by both Wholetime and On-Call personnel, whilst Tillicoultry is staffed entirely by On-Call personnel. Across the two stations there are three fire appliances.

Fife

16. There are thirteen fire stations in the Fife area: five, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Lochgelly and Methil, are staffed by Wholetime personnel. Eight, Anstruther, Auchtermuchty, Burntisland, Cupar, Newburgh, St Andrews, St Monans and Tayport are staffed by On-Call personnel. Across the thirteen stations there are twenty fire appliances, one water rescue unit, one rope rescue unit and two height vehicles.

LSO Area Falkirk and West Lothian (FWL)

Falkirk

17. There are five fire stations in the Falkirk area: three, Bo'ness, Falkirk and Larbert, are staffed by both Wholetime and On-Call personnel. Two, Denny and Slamannan are staffed entirely by On-Call personnel. Across the five stations there are nine fire appliances, one command support unit, one height vehicle, one high volume pump and one water bowser.

West Lothian

18. There are six fire stations in the West Lothian area: two, Bathgate and Livingston, are staffed by both Wholetime and On-Call personnel. Four, Broxburn, Linlithgow, West Calder and Whitburn, are staffed entirely by On-Call personnel. Across the six stations there are eight fire appliances and one water rescue unit.

LSO Area City of Edinburgh (CoE)

City of Edinburgh

19. There are eight fire stations in the City of Edinburgh area: seven, Crewe Toll, Liberton, Marionville, McDonald Road, Newcraighall, Sighthill and Tollcross, are staffed by Wholetime personnel. One, South Queensferry, is staffed by On-Call personnel. Across the eight stations there are twelve fire appliances, one heavy rescue unit, two height vehicles, one rope rescue unit, one urban search and rescue (USAR) unit, one water rescue unit, one DIM (Detection, Identification, and Monitoring) vehicle, one mass decontamination unit, and one command support unit.

LSO Area Midlothian, East Lothian, Scottish Borders (MELSB)

Midlothian

20. There are two fire stations in the Midlothian area: Dalkeith is staffed by Wholetime personnel whilst Penicuik is staffed by On-Call personnel. Across the two stations there are two fire appliances. The crew at Dalkeith form part of a USAR capability maintained across the two LSO areas of the City of Edinburgh and Midlothian.

East Lothian

21. There are six fire stations in the East Lothian area: one, Musselburgh, is staffed by Wholetime personnel. Five, Dunbar, East Linton, Haddington, North Berwick and Tranent are staffed by On-Call personnel. Across the six stations there are eight fire appliances.

Scottish Borders

22. There are thirteen fire stations in the Scottish Borders area: two, Galashiels and Hawick, are staffed by both Wholetime and On-Call personnel. Eleven, Coldstream, Duns, Eyemouth, Innerleithen, Jedburgh, Kelso, Lauder, Newcastleton, Peebles, Selkirk and West Linton are staffed entirely by On-Call personnel. Across the thirteen stations there are seventeen fire appliances and one water rescue unit.