DUNDEE PUPILS RECEIVE TOUR OF NEW FIRE SERVICE HUB

Primary school children from Dundee have been given a sneak preview of a new £3 million fire service hub for the north east of Scotland. Youngsters from primary four at Mill of Mains Primary School received a tour of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Asset Resource Centre at Claverhouse Industrial Estate. Twenty six pupils took part in the visit to the facility, which is being built by Robertson Tayside in a project managed by hub East Central Scotland for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Jane Elder, site support co-ordinator at Robertson, said: “Pupils from Mill of Mains had lots of fun looking around the new fire service building. “They had the chance to ask experts from Robertson and the fire service about careers in both industries and find out about the many opportunities available to them. “This level of engagement is crucial as we work to ensure young people develop an interest in what is a modern, dynamic construction industry.” The new asset resource centre will include a substantial garage for maintenance of fire engines, an IT hub and space for administrative staff. The 2,000 m2 building’s vehicle maintenance area will cater for fire service vehicle servicing in the north east of Scotland. Workshops and stores will also feature at the site, along with welfare and office accommodation. Sarah O’Donnell, head of finance and contractual services, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It was a wonderful opportunity to show the children the different aspects of a modern fire and rescue service, and how we ensure our emergency vehicles are maintained and prepared. “They certainly asked lots of questions and we hope they thoroughly benefited from the experience! This exciting project will assist in modernising the key areas of fleet workshops, stores, property and ICT support, enabling us to enhance our service delivery across the north east corridor of Scotland - and keep our communities safe.” Gary Bushnell, chief executive, hub East Central Scotland, said: “Our team is working closely with Robertson and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to manage the delivery of a high quality facility at best value for the communities that it serves.” The site is due for completion in August 2016.