Rebel fire chief forced to back down over radios

Published on Friday 25 June 2010 21:34

ONE of Scotland's largest fire authorities has finally bowed to a government demand to install a hi-tech radio system.

David Dalziel, chief fire officer of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, had refused to allow his senior staff to use the Firelink system, which was introduced in every other fire service in the country following the communications lessons learned from the 7/7 and 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He claimed the radio system was unsafe because it could not operate on a "hands-free" setting. Until yesterday, he had been backed in refusing to install it by the Grampian Joint Fire and Rescue Board.

Last Friday, communities minister Fergus Ewing acted to break the impasse by announcing he was taking legal action against the Grampian brigade, ordering the service to install the Firelink communications system in all vehicles used by officers responding to any emergency incident.

And, at a meeting of the board in Aberdeen, the fire authority caved in to the demands. Mike Raeburn, the convener of the board, said after the meeting the Grampian service would act immediately to have the new emergency radios fitted.

He said: "While this was an operational decision taken by the chief fire officer, and the board continues to give its full support to that decision, the board has also given consideration to the wider issues. To that end, we will now comply fully and immediately with the requirement to install Firelink in senior officers' private cars.

"We respect the minister's power to make this order, and the board is unwilling to challenge that."

A spokeswoman for Mr Ewing said: "We welcome the decision by Grampian Fire and Rescue authority to install Firelink in officers' cars, which will complete the nationwide response system.

"The Scottish Government is responsible for the safety and security of the country, and the ability of the fire and rescue services to operate across service boundaries is key to meeting that responsibility."

The 40 million system is already operational in more than 1,100 fire service vehicles and 368 fire stations across Scotland. Firelink has been installed in 105 fire appliances and support vehicles in Grampian. Only the cars of 24 senior fire officers in the area are still to be fitted with the system.

Mr Dalziel was not available for comment. He has previously claimed that there was an "overwhelming safety case" against the use of the two-way radio system and that he had been the victim of "state-sponsored harassment".

But officials from the Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities said the absence of the equipment in officers' private cars meant communities in the North-east would find themselves less "resilient" and in a "worse position" than the rest of Scotland during a terrorist attack or other major incident.