Oban Times Leader: Unsung heroes deserve better

The old saying goes that people will gladly flog the willing horse - and it seems that is exactly what the powers that be are doing to the on call crews in question.

Lives on Seil and Easdale Island are undoubtedly being put at risk because of woefully inadequate facilities inside two wooden huts in a car park in Ellenabeich. Leaving firefighters without access to power to charge equipment is simply wrong, and the archaic conditions they are being expected to tolerate would never be deemed as acceptable on the mainland.

Let’s remind ourselves, when these crews are called into action, lives are on the line. This isn’t an admin job they are being asked to do, this is dangerous work and the kit and conditions they are operating in could be the difference between life and death.

It is time that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service carried out an urgent review of a situation that has been allowed to go on far too long. It is no longer good enough to take advantage of the fact these local heroes do not want to let their communities down.

The failings are not theirs, they are the people holiding the purse strings and making the decisions up the line. It is their responsibility to solve this situation - and do it quickly.