Jeff Ord: "Risk assesment"

Strathclyde firemaster Jeff Ord said the allegations were "insensitive" at a time when the deaths of 13 elderly care home residents were being mourned.

One other resident is in a critical condition after the fire at the Rosepark Care Home in Uddingston.

Mr Ord said the plans would not have affected the response to that fire.

Initial attack

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned that the proposals in the Fire Services Bill, currently going through parliament, would cut response times to fire alarms from buildings such as nursing homes.

Roddy Robertson, the Scottish Chairman of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "What our firefighters are telling us is that if it goes ahead we will have less resources to deal with the initial attack.

"And we will have less resources to call on ultimately because the resources will be spread in different areas.

"So our firefighters are highlighting that there are going to be dangers in the future for themselves and there is going to be danger for the public."

Mr Ord said Strathclyde fire board had approved draft proposals which had now gone out to consultation ahead of the Fire Services Bill.

12 residents died at the Rosepark Care Home

He denied that it would mean less cover to care homes or residential areas.

"They (the union) are well aware that what we are talking about is where a premises is occupied during the day with several hundred people and then at night it may have two or three people, security on the door", he said.

"So what we are saying is, does it warrant the same attendence during the day as it warrants during the evening?"

"At the moment we are sending between two and seven fire trucks to automatic fire alarms in premises where they are even telling us there is not a fire."

He said the brigade would do a risk assessment which would depend on the occupancy and the risk.

Mr Ord said that under the plans Rosepark would be judged as a "static, premanent life risk", and the number of fire appliances would not have been reduced.