New Fire Service - Must Listen to Local Views

I would like to wish the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service all the best of luck as it comes into being.  I hope that local people notice very little difference in the service.  I know that there are some really good officers in charge of the new service.

I am glad that the temporary headquarters are in Perth and not in Glasgow or Edinburgh.  However, I remain convinced that the headquarters should be in Dundee.  At Blackness Road there is an office complex that could hold the new headquarters.  Dundee has a really strong argument to receive more government jobs and I think that the fire and rescue headquarters coming to Dundee would be a start.

One of the biggest challenges which the new service faces is how responsive it will be to local needs.  The new service must be responsive to the needs and views of local people.   Tayside Fire and Rescue Board demonstrated that it was responsive to local views when it rejected plans to downgrade Balmossie Fire Station twice. The new board must be mindful of local views.  So just for example it would be wrong for the new service to try to downgrade Balmossie given a clear democratic decision on this issue.