By Stefan Morkis

THE FATE of Scotland’s fire and rescue control rooms could be revealed in less than a month’s time.

The former Labour-Liberal Democrat administration had decided to get rid of the eight local control rooms currently used by Scotland’s fire and rescue services and replace them with centralised control rooms, as has been done in England and Wales.

This would mean that the Macalpine Road control room in Dundee, which manages Tayside Fire and Rescue’s operations, would cease to exist.

The Fire Brigades Union has consistently opposed these plans and a petition calling for the then Scottish Executive to rethink its plans gathered thousands of signatures.

They claim that the cost of the centralised system south of the border had been underestimated and that it has now cost taxpayers millions of more pounds than the old system did.

The FBU also believe that as staff in centralised control rooms would not have the local knowledge necessary for the job, and that ultimately any delays caused by this could cost lives.

Yesterday several members of the FBU in Tayside, alongside their colleagues from across Scotland, visited the Scottish Parliament to make their case before the petitions committee.

They have now referred the issue to community safety minister Fergus Ewing.

He and his colleagues in the Scottish Government are expected to deliver their judgement in as little as three weeks time.

Although the SNP said they would retain the current set-up in the campaign leading up to the Scottish elections in May, Jim Malone, secretary of Tayside FBU, is aware that parties often renege on their promises once in office but he remains hopeful the present system will be retained.

“The committee has referred the matter back to Fergus Ewing and have asked him to look at all the evidence and he will then make his decision,” said Mr Malone.

“In 2004 we collected thousands of signatures so those have been presented as evidence to the committee.

“We’ve got on record support from the committee members and support from the members of parliament who have now formed the government.

“We will be looking for them to fulfil the promised they made before the election.”