Concerns over length of time taken for firefighters to reach Perthshire school

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Concern has been raised over the length of time taken for firefighters to attend fire alarms at a Perthshire school.A Strathtay councillor has heard it was taking "up to an hour" for firefighters to attend.A shortage of retained firefighters in Highland Perthshire has led to appliances from Perth or Blairgowrie being called to Aberfeldy.Perth and Kinross group commander Ewan Baird presented an interim Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report to Perth and Kinross Council's housing and communities committee on January 24.Following his report Strathtay councillor Grant Laing raised concern from local parents about recent fire alarms at Breadalbane Academy in Aberfeldy.The SNP councillor said: "There are claims of about eight false alarms up there recently and at least two this year in successive days while children were doing prelims."Parents are concerned - because of difficulties recruiting retained personnel - appliances are sent from Perth or Blairgowrie and can take up to an hour."I find that concerning when we have examples of recent school fires for example in Peebles."He asked what was being done to recruit retained firefighters.Group commander Ewan Baird told councillors he believed the eight false alarms were not all malicious but some were accidental whilst systems were getting tested, etc.He said the issue at Breadalbane was being looked at.Mr Baird told those present on Monday: "What we were looking at on Friday was mobilisation to that area.

As you are probably aware we do have recruitment issues at Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy. And if these all coincide with when we have a call in that area our next nearest available appliances will attend from Perth or Blairgowrie which can take up to 35 minutes I believe to