M2AF

 

M2AF is the Home Office allocated Radio Call Sign for Dumfries and Galloway Fire Brigade's Control Room. Over the radio control call themselves Fire Control on all transmissions.

The Control was housed in a purpose built unit to the rear of Headquarters on the first floor. During the day the OiC is a FCO? Each watch has 1 Watch Manager(c), 1 Crew Manager(c) and 2 Ffs(c). There are three on at any time with minimum of two. The Control has three positions (apart from on and off).

This Control Room closed on Tuesday the 11th of November, 2014 after which all calls for the Dumfries and Galloway area were answered at the former Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's Command and Control Centre in Johnstone, one of the three Controls being kept open under the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

 

 

Dumfries Control Room used to be the old Sub Officers office in the station pre 1986. This was also where the SWAFB southern sub control was based.


Staffing

      Senior Control Operator Leading Control Operator Control Operator
  1984  

1

5 5
  1985   1 4 8
  1987   1 4 10
    Fire Control Officer Senior Fire Control Operator Leading Fire Control Operator Fire Control Operator
  1989  1 2 4 9
Dumfries and Galloway, pre Scottish Fire and Rescue Service 2013   4 WM(c) 4 CM(c) 7 Ff(c)

 

Fire Control Refurbishment

 

Fire Control is the Brigade’s nerve centre and it’s staff of 15 are responsible for the handling of calls, mobilisation of resources and command and control in respect of incidents within the Brigade area and is operational 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
The Control Room was originally constructed and opened in 1985. After a decade of continual use the purpose built consoles with computer equipment, visual display units, keyboards etc. did not conform with the requirements of the Health and Safety Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 with which the Brigade had to comply by December 1996.
Additionally the heating, ventilation system, lighting and decoration within the control room were also inadequate.
Control Staff were given the task of designing and specifying the changes needed to bring the Control Room up to date, within a very limited budget.
The old boxed type console’s have been replaced with up-to-date, open plan type workstations fully adjustable to comply with the Health and Safety Legislation (see photo).
The Fires III Command and Control Mobilisation computer has been upgraded by installing personal computers to each workstation enabling the software to be networked throughout the control room.
The heating and ventilation system, lighting system and decoration have also been completely upgraded to provide an improved working environment for the staff in compliance with Health and Safety legislation.
A computer floor has also been installed to allow engineers easy access to cabling etc. and a training/command room constructed to allow personnel to participate in dedicated training sessions outwith the control room environment which if required can act as a command room for large scale and more serious incidents.
The completion of the refurbishment programme means that the Control Room is now fully equipped to meet current operational needs and will take the Fire Control Room into the next century.
Control Staff are congratulated on the excellent new working environment which has been achieved.
(
Dumfries and Galloway Annual Report 1995/96. Page 13.)

Photos of Control