The people of Tayside: Save YOUR Tayside Fire Control

FIVE of Scotland’s eight fire control rooms are set to be closed following the creation of a single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service board on 26th September in Aberdeen agreed in principle - by a single vote - to retain only three of the current control centres serving the country as part of a major rationalisation plan.

Under the proposals, which will now go out to public consultation, the control room at Johnstone in Renfrewshire is almost certain to be retained and two other control centres will be kept from a four strong list of centres at Dundee, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.

Sign the online petition to keep our local fire and Rescue control centre in Dundee

Final Meeting of Tayside Police After Thirty Eight Years Service

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On Monday morning, I attended the last meeting of Tayside Police Board. 

Members of the Board considered a number of reports which detailed the transition from eight regional Police Forces to the new Single Police Force for Scotland that will come into effect on Monday 1st April 2013. While it was clear that the changeover has taken a great deal of planning, other reports dealt with day to day policing which had been effectively continuing in parallel with the preparation for the changeover next week.


For example, the report, TAYSIDE POLICE PERFORMANCE POSITION AT JANUARY 2013, revealed that:

"The force achieved 3 out of 4 of crime reduction targets by January:

• A reduction in violent crime of 22.6% (101 crimes)
• Despite an increase in robbery of 2.0% (2 crimes)
• A reduction in vandalism of 9.8% (342 crimes)

Domestic housebreaking failed to achieve target


Domestic Housebreaking - saw a 15.2% increase from 541 to 623 crimes at the end of January. The end of year target is 700 ..... ."

During their 38 years of operation as a regional police force, I think Tayside Police have effectively protected the combined communities of Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross.

At the end of the morning senior officers and staff and elected members braved the cold wind for a procession down the High Street and ceremony in Tay Street for not only Tayside Police but also Tayside Fire and Rescue, which is also to become a single national service at the same time.

Consultation on Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2013

The Scottish Government has recently published the draft Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2013. This consultation seeks our views on the strategic priorities for the single Fire and Rescue Service for Scotland. On 1st April 2013, this national service will take over responsibility for fire and rescue from the eight current regionally organised services, such as our own Tayside Fire and Rescue.

The documentation includes the following:

The main purpose of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is to work in partnership with communities, and with others in the public, private and third sectors, on prevention, protection and response, to improve the safety and well being of people throughout Scotland.

I wonder if it's only me but I find this statement rather bland and vague. Amazingly the statement misses out what I think most folk believe is the primary purpose of the Fire and Rescue Service; fire fighting! If the name of the service hadn't been included in the statement, I defy folk to guess this is meant to guide the work of this particular emergency service. While I wouldn't argue with the need to also work on fire prevention and operate in partnership, I think what most folk value is the confidence that this emergency service provides that it is on call 24x7 to attend fire and rescue emergencies and protect people and property.

Comments on the consultation need to be submitted by 18 February 2013. Read download the Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2013