Single Fire Service Should be based in Dundee

Today I moved an amendment at a special meeting of Tayside Fire and Rescue Board calling for the Board to support a single fire and rescue service for Scotland and calling for the single service to be based in Dundee. My amendment was defeated I was disappointed that my amendment was defeated at the Fire Board. I think that there are arguments in favour of a single service. I also think that we should have as our priorities frontline services and better local accountability. I think that protecting local frontline services should be a priority. I also think that we need to take on board some of the concerns raised by Audit Scotland about the accountability offered by fire and rescue boards across Scotland. I know that many people are concerned that a single service would be too focused on the central belt, that is why I called for the headquarters of a single service to be located in Dundee. This would give a clear message that this is a national service. Dundee is well placed to play host to such headquarters being in easy reach of the majority of the Scottish population. Despite the decision of the Fire and Rescue Board to reject moves towards a single fire service in Scotland, it appears to me that it is likely that we will be heading in that direction. If that is the case I will continue to call for a single fire and rescue service to be headquartered in Dundee.