This is the harrowing call made by a Scots woman as fire rips through her flat.
The recording has been shared by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to illustrate the sometimes life-or-death situations facing emergency call handlers and coincides with the launch of the service’s new £2.5m control room in Dundee.
In the call, the panicked woman says: “I can’t get out the house — my flat’s on fire.”
As the woman becomes increasingly hysterical, the call handler calmly advises her to stay low out of the smoke and wait for firefighters to arrive.
Although the details of the call remain anonymous, the audio ends with the reassuring noise of firefighters arriving to save the householder.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service says the call perfectly proves the operations control personnel’s role as the “unseen front line” – responding to calls from the public and quickly mobilising firefighters to assist.
Alasdair Hay, chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This launch marks the final milestone in a three year programme to safely migrate the eight former legacy centres into three state-of-the-art controls, each fit for the 21st century – and beyond.
“Our 165 committed control firefighters across Scotland are the unseen frontline, working together to play a critical role in the safety and wellbeing of Scotland’s communities.
“Lives have been saved by their calm advice given over the phone that buys vital seconds for those trapped in a fire or other emergency situation.”
