SFRS chief says the service is 'committed' to improving the quality of buildings after alarming statistics showed many to be 'falling apart'

That was the assurance given by the acting director of asset management, Iain Morris.

He was speaking after criticism from Scottish Labour MSP, Katy Clark, who “raised the alarm” over findings she says shows West Scotland’s fire estate is “falling apart”.

She that over half of stations in the area are viewed by SFRS as being in “bad” or “poor” condition, with a further 47 per cent assessed as being of “bad” or “poor” suitability.In total, 75 per cent of buildings in the estate are assessed as being of “bad” or “poor” suitability, with 45 per cent assessed as being in either “bad” or “poor” condition.

Ms Clark told The Herald: “It is astounding to see the extent to which Scotland’s fire estate is falling apart.“Firefighters, who work so hard to ensure the safety of people in our communities, need to be well equipped, well-resourced, well protected and well paid to do the job they do.

“However, these stats show that a number of stations do not even have basic bathroom or shower facilities. Some even lack a running water supply.

“This is not acceptable and puts firefighters, who are already exposed to dangerous fire contaminants in their day-to-day job, at further risk of developing cancers and other illnesses.”

Of the buildings in the SFRS estate where the age is known, 42 per cent are at least half a century old.Shockingly, 25 per cent of stations in West Scotland do not have dedicated female showers, with Beith, Millport and Brodick stations lacking drying facilities, and Helensburgh and Milngavie stations in need of remedial action.Mr Morris told us: “The safety and welfare of our staff who serve communities across Scotland remains a priority for us.

"We are fully committed to addressing any challenges around the repair and maintenance of our buildings as we work tirelessly to balance our budget.

“We recognise that there are a number of fire stations where there are limited welfare facilities, these are already identified within our ongoing capital investment requirements and plans.”

Ms Clark said the Scottish Government “has had 15 years” to modernise the estate and has failed to do so, with the real terms impact being the affect on response times to emergency incidents.

She said the failings are “putting the public at risk,” and added “these figures must be a wake-up call.

“It’s time to modernise Scotland’s crumbling fire estate.”