02/11/2025
Alex is one of our women’s reps sharing how the cuts by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has had a detrimental impact on the community she is a part of. Please share to raise awareness and add your signature to the petition.
"My name is Alex, I'm a Firefighter at Lochgelly Community Fire Station and I've been doing this for almost 4 years. In that short time, I've seen a lot of changes on my watch in particular with personnel being moved around, then of course we had the cuts in 2023 at Methil & Glenrothes, my watch was also decimated at this time with Firefighters moved out to make space for incoming Firefighters.
Since then we've just got on with with our jobs, then the Service Delivery Review came out, which looks at all the ways money can be saved due to the budget available. The community was given 23 options in total for public consultation, it's now in someone else's hands on what will happen at Lochgelly, but we will most likely lose an appliance, as well as half of our watch and our Rope Rescue Unit. We find out what the decision will be in December.
What many people aren't aware of is how vast the area is that we cover, we go to Ballingry, Kelty and Cowdenbeath, as well as other rural areas that need us. There will absolutely be delayed response times, as well as a severe restriction to our capabilities. For example, if we arrive at a house fire, there's flames coming out and people screaming for help, our gaffer has to make difficult calls because we don't know how long it'll take for another appliance to arrive from say Glenrothes or Dunfermline, time is crucial, that's obvious. Minutes can drastically change the outcome of these situations.
I'm also the branch representative for the woman's section of the FBU East of Scotland. Locally we have been running the campaign to inform and educate our community because we feel that what they're being told elsewhere is not the whole picture. Ted has been fronting this, to reassure the community that we're not happy with it and we'll fight all the way, for our community we serve and for our colleagues.
Before becoming a Firefighter I was a Social Care Worker. I worked at a care homes in Cupar, specifically with far on dementia residents. When the pandemic hit, it broke me because we couldn't provide the same level of care. We used to take our residents out for day trips, bar lunches, going to the beach and having ice creams. We would to wear PPE, keep our distances and you could see residents decline in that time, and it killed me. I'm also a single parent so going home from my 14 hour shifts in the care home then going back into Mum Mode for my 2 year old son at the time was horrific.
I had to get out and a friend of mine shared a post about the Fire Service looking for women to join up and I applied on a whim and here we are, it's been the best thing I've ever done. I love helping people, that's always been who I am so this was the next stage after working in care homes. I couldn't sit behind a desk, I need to be moving all the time. Our job is very physical so when we're not on a call, we're usually doing some form of training drills. I like being tested, I love learning too. I also love being a role model for my son, he's so proud of me. There's been a few times that I've gone into his school to do a talk with the engine and his wee face just beams with pride, that's a really nice feeling and just one of the many reasons why I'm fighting so hard for what I love"
Please consider sharing this post and signing the petition against these cuts, thank you 🙏🏻
https://www.change.org/p/save-lochgelly-s-fire-engine-and-rope-rescue-unit
