Two new Scottish fire stations to be built in major modernisation plan

Scotland's fire and rescue service has approved a major modernisation programme that will see two new state-of-the-art fire stations constructed in Glasgow and East Lothian.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board has committed more than £20 million to build modern two-pump stations at Cowcaddens and Tranent. The new facilities will replace older single-pump stations at Yorkhill and Musselburgh, providing upgraded working environments for firefighters.

The changes, which follow a twelve-week public consultation receiving over 3,600 responses, also include the creation of around twenty new on-call firefighter roles and the redeployment of more than sixty staff into safety-critical positions across prevention, training and operational delivery.

An additional daytime appliance will be introduced in East Lothian, strengthening operational capacity in the area. Earlier proposals to close Marionville and Newcraighall stations in Edinburgh have been dropped following community feedback.

Five long-term dormant stations with no staff – in the Highlands, Shetland and Stirlingshire – will formally close. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service emphasised that community safety and firefighter safety were the primary considerations in all decisions.

All changes will be delivered over the next five years.