‘Compelling case’ to keep Dundee fire control room open

Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Alison McInnes has said there was a “compelling case” to keep open the fire control room in Dundee.

She and city councillor Fraser Macpherson toured the area at the Macalpine Road fire station to highlight the party’s case against Scottish Fire and Rescue proposals to cut the number of control rooms across the country from eight to three.

Mrs McInnes, who is a north-east Scotland regional MSP, said: “Fire control rooms should not be considered backroom assets alongside former HQ buildings.

“They coordinate and mobilise frontline 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.”