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Fire Control Rooms
19/05/2008
A consultation looking at issues around the resilience of Fire Control Rooms was launched today.
This follows a Scottish Government decision not to take central action to reduce the number of control rooms.
The consultation will help to ensure that all of Scotland's Fire Controls are sufficiently resilient in the context of current and anticipated threats, and continue to be able to serve their local communities.
Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing said:
"Since I announced that there would be no central action to reduce the number of Fire Control rooms, I've met with Fire Control staff around Scotland.
"I have been impressed by their commitment and professionalism and I have given an undertaking to each and every one of them that we would look at what we could do to help by ensuring that they have the best tools to do the job.
"Our Fire and Rescue Services do a tremendous job -the incident at Glasgow Airport showed that, and we need to keep supporting them as the challenges they face continue to evolve. This consultation will help make sure we do that"
The consultation will run for 12 weeks and is seeking views from Fire Service staff, local authorities, unions and other stakeholders.
Respondents are being encouraged to consider five key areas, these being 999 call handling, buildings and physical issues, the technology that supports command and control, working procedures, and the role of Control Rooms in supporting Critical National Infrastructure.