Crisis in Scotland's Retained Fire Service

That the Parliament notes that Scotland’s retained Fire and Rescue Service covers 80% of the landmass of the country, including the West Scotland region, with over 2,700 Fire and Rescue Service personnel working out of 240 fire stations, serving urban and rural communities 365 days a year; is concerned that what it sees as years of budget reductions, the loss of jobs, a recruitment crisis and low pay have resulted in around 150 retained crewed fire appliances a day being "off the run" and unable to respond to emergency calls; understands that retained firefighters are required to make themselves available for 80 to 120 hours a week and be able to attend their nearest fire station within five to eight minutes of a call, and in return they are paid a retainer of £2,717 to £3,623 per year, with additional payments for training, drill nights and emergency calls, meaning that for most retained firefighters it is their secondary employment and they need another job to make ends meet; further understands that there is a 29% vacancy rate with 11% of recruits reportedly leaving the service in 2022-23 alone; notes the belief that this situation is completely untenable, and further notes the calls for the Scottish Government and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which is consulting on the future of the service, to urgently address what it sees as this crisis in the retained service.