Badenoch MSP welcomes new Highlands emergency centre plan
Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson has welcomed the announcement that Inverness police control centre will expand to become the new hub for major incidents and events in the country.
He was responding to plans approved by the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board which are due to be implemented over the next three to five years.
Mr Thompson said: "I welcome the news that support services from other parts of the country will move to the new hub potentially increasing staff numbers of 47 by 10 to 20 per cent.
"And it is good that the changes will be happening over several years so that the fire control room folk impacted have a good chance of finding places in the expanding police operation.
"Further, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is set to invest £2m in a new Asset Resource Centre housing specialist facilities for vehicles, equipment and IC, which will lead to additional posts in community and fire safety work going forward, creating around 20-25 fulltime posts.
"I also welcomed the proposal that Inverness will become the home of a new Flood and Water Rescue capability based in the city – providing support to the whole of the north of Scotland.
"The new proposals will see Inverness playing a vital role in our emergency services; however, I am disappointed that the minimum four area solution I suggested to the Fire Management and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Board was not considered as an option."
Mr Thompson was referring to the decision last week to axe the fire control room in Inverness.
