Graeme’s Column

Perhaps it’s the old-school journalist in me, but I’ve never been comfortable coming to a view without first questioning the facts carefully and without bias.

That’s the approach I’ve taken in looking at the proposals from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to downgrade or potentially close Balmossie Fire Station, which sits right on the boundary between the Angus South and Dundee City East constituencies.

I understand why many instinctively oppose any reduction in local fire cover—it feels like a backward step.

But times have changed, and the nature of fire service activity has shifted too. I don’t take issue with SFRS reviewing where its resources are best placed across Scotland. If anything, that’s part of ensuring an effective service.

In recent years, serious incidents in Perth have drawn appliances from Dundee. It’s conceivable that relocating the full-time Balmossie appliance to the Kingsway station might strengthen the region’s overall capacity.

I’m not saying there is a case, but it’s worth proper consideration. But we can’t afford to ignore what’s at stake for Monifieth and the wider coastal area.

I find it hard to see how a full closure of Balmossie can be justified, particularly because of the knock-on effects on ambulance provision. Two Scottish Ambulance Service vehicles have been based at Balmossie thanks to additional government investment. 

When I met with ambulance management recently, they were clear: closing the station would seriously disrupt their operations. The fallback options being considered—Arbroath, Forfar, or central Dundee—don’t offer anything close to adequate local cover.

It doesn’t take a geography degree to see these alternatives would leave Monifieth poorly served.

That’s why, at a minimum, I believe the station must be retained on an on-call basis. But thus far I have struggled to get underpinning information from the SFRS.

I’ve asked them for data on where Balmossie’s full-time appliance has been deployed to recently. I’ve also requested information on how often both the on-call crews at Balmossie and Carnoustie have been unavailable at the same time due to firefighter availability.

These crews play a crucial role in fire service provision but are dependent on personnel availability. If the full-time Balmossie appliance goes, the entire area between Arbroath and Dundee would have only part-time crewed appliances based there.

We need to understand how frequently those crews are unavailable—and what that means for response times in Carnoustie and Monifieth.

That’s why getting clear, factual answers from SFRS is essential. Until then, we’re being asked to comment on a major change without the evidence to make a properly informed decision. I look forward to meeting with them later this month.