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.)