Future of Dundee fire station secured as ambulance crews move in

The future of a local fire station has been secured after ambulance crews moved into the premises alongside the brigade.

There had been concerns that Balmossie Fire Station in Broughty Ferry could be earmarked for closure by national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) chiefs as part of a widespread review.

However, those fears have been allayed after it was confirmed the Scottish Ambulance Service had also moved on to the site.

Gordon Pryde, the SFRS’s local senior officer for Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee, said: “We were delighted to recently welcome our Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues to share our facility at Balmossie.

“This move allows us to work even more closely with our emergency service partners as we continue to protect Dundee and the surrounding area from harm, and creates a sustainable hub at the heart of the community.

“This is an example of how the SFRS is looking at ways to maximise the potential of its station footprint to deliver the best value to the people of Scotland.”

The move will lead to better partnership working between the services, according to Terry Whyte, local representative for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Scotland.

He said: “Other stations are still under review but it’s definitely positive to see what’s happened at Balmossie. I imagine there will be others like it as well in future.”

This time last year bosses at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were looking into cutting staff and fire stations.

They say the service needs to change, having retained the same structure for 70 years despite the increased range of responsibilities taken on by firefighters such as responding to terrorism and severe weather events.

A consultation on the fire service’s transformation programme came to an end in May this year, with further details of proposed changes expected to be published before the end of the year.

Liberal Democrat Ferry councillor Craig Duncan said he was “pleased” to see Balmossie protected.

He added: “This will further secure the long-term future of Balmossie serving Broughty Ferry and surrounding areas for both fire and ambulance services, which is good news for our area.”