MSP highlights concerns about emergency control room centralisation

During a Holyrood debate on Scottish Fire and Rescue Service plans to close five of its eight emergency control rooms across Scotland, Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur highlighted concerns felt by islanders as well as wider fears over increased centralisation of services by the Scottish Government.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “A strong case has been made for retaining the emergency control room in Inverness.  Local knowledge and experience, additional resilience within the Scottish fire and rescue network and recently upgraded facilities all helped lend weight to arguments against closure of Inverness.

“Sadly, those arguments have fallen on deaf ears.  As a result, the most northerly control room will be in Dundee.

“The Scottish Government insists this is a matter for the SFRS board.  While this is correct, it follows a strong signal from SNP ministers themselves that not only is centralisation acceptable, it is positively encouraged.

“Invariably, however, it is rural and island communities that lose out as a consequence.  The sense is created that they are a secondary consideration and that the centre knows and does best.  That is wrong on an operational level.  It also goes against the entire ethos of devolution, which was never supposed to stop at Edinburgh.”