The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has today unveiled the final stages of a multi-million pound investment to protect the north of Scotland.
Communities across the region will be served by a new Operations Control (OC) capability – ensuring firefighters can be deployed when and where they are needed.
The move will see control staff from Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen join forces in a new, state-of-the-art facility in Dundee by March 2017.
An exciting programme of redevelopment and refurbishment work is already underway at the city’s Macalpine Road fire station.
It will gather pace on 28 September when Dundee control staff move into hi-spec modular accommodation within the grounds of Macalpine Road while the upgrade of the core facility is carried out.
They will then prepare to welcome colleagues from Aberdeen and Inverness.
Aberdeen colleagues will migrate to the same modular accommodation on 8 November followed by Inverness colleagues on 6 December.
Those who have chosen to remain in Inverness and Aberdeen will be offered new roles where their skills and experience can still be used to benefit communities.
Alasdair Hay - Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - visited both Aberdeen and Inverness today to speak with staff ahead of the migration.
He said: “This major investment will without doubt further enhance our protection across the North of Scotland.
“We look forward to combining our capabilities from across Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness into this fantastic facility in Dundee.
“It can deploy our specialist resources not only from across the North – but from across the whole of Scotland - at times of significant emergency.
“I wanted to share this news myself with our operations control staff in Inverness and Aberdeen. I have made it clear to them that their role is critical to the very success of this important project.”
He added: “This announcement is the culmination of a very great deal of planning and preparation – and the public can rest assure that there will be no change to the outstanding service that we provide, and we will continue to attend every 999 call ahead of the launch of our new operations control at Dundee in March.
“It really is a landmark occasion and we hope that our communities take great comfort from a national service that keeps going from strength to ever greater strength.”
The Chief Officer was joined by Pat Watters who is chair of the SFRS Board.
Mr Watters said: “As a Board, we are absolutely committed to delivering this state-of-the-art facility at Dundee – which will give our communities the protection they absolutely deserve.
“It was therefore a great pleasure to meet with our operations control staff at Inverness and Aberdeen today. They, and their colleagues across Scotland, are to be thoroughly commended for not only their professionalism but their unstinting dedication.”
