Today, along with my colleague Alison McInnes, Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson and MSP for the North East, I toured the Dundee Fire Control Room. Alison and I are campaigning for the retention of the Dundee Fire Control Room that has a vital role and must be retained.
I was hugely impressed with the professionalism and local knowledge of the control staff Alison and I spoke with.
Alison is pictured below outside the control room and Macalpine Road Fire Station:
Alison said, "There is a compelling case for retaining fire control rooms in Dundee and Aberdeen.
"Fire control rooms should not be considered backroom assets alongside former HQ buildings. They coordinate and mobilise front line operations with the benefit of a wealth, sometimes decades worth, of local knowledge. That is why they cannot be sold off without impacting upon the ability of the fire service to respond swiftly to emergencies and without eroding the service provided to local communities.
"I am also concerned that a smaller network of control rooms will be less resilient and I hope that the Fire Board will heed these concerns and decide to keep the control room in Dundee open when it considers the matter again in January."
I was interviewed about this matter on Wave 102 News today. You can hear the interview by clicking 'play' below: