Emergency call at Grantown – from the fire service
A STARK reminder of the need for more firefighters in the capital of Strathspey came with a chimney fire – which the local brigade could not attend even though it was right outside their own station.
“How desperate is this situation when Grantown is unable to mobilise an appliance across the road?” asked local observer Carl Stewart. “The appliance in the photo has came from Aviemore despite there being two sitting in in the station.”
Mr Stewart stressed it was not a criticism of the local retained crews but a shout out to those who might now consider joining them.
Nick Nethercott is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s station commander for Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
He told the Strathy: “On this occasion, we were alerted at 1.46pm on Wednesday, July 5 to reports of a chimney fire at a property on Woodside Avenue.
“One fire appliance was immediately mobilised to the scene and crews safely extinguished the fire while preventing further spread and damage to the property. There were no casualties. Our Operations Control staff will always work to mobilise the closest and most appropriate fire appliance to an incident to ensure every emergency is attended to.”
He added: “On call recruitment is a challenge in communities across Scotland and that’s no different here in Grantown.
“However, thanks to recent recruitment efforts, I’m delighted to say we have identified a number of additional on call firefighter candidates.
“While these candidates now progress through our recruitment process, we will continue to actively recruit and support anyone who lives locally and who wishes to earn a second income and give back to the community in which they live.”
