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Multi million pound upgrade to Inverness and Dingwall fire stations to deliver ‘highest’ service





Chief Officer Ross Haggart unveils a plaque at Dingwall Community Fire Station.
Chief Officer Ross Haggart unveils a plaque at Dingwall Community Fire Station.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has completed the second phase of a £4.6 million investment modernising Inverness and Dingwall fire stations to provide “modern, state-of-the-art facilities”.

Inverness Community Fire Station dates back to 1956 and is a full-time base for on-call firefighters – its refurbishment cost £3 million – while Dingwall’s on-call station goes back to 1971 and got £1.6 million worth of improvements.

The work saw essential repairs carried out and new welfare facilities fitted at both stations including new decontamination provisions such as locker and drying rooms.

The changes have also seen the implementation of ‘zoning systems’ to ensure firefighters can safely clean and manage kit and equipment after attending fires and other emergencies.

Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Ross Haggart unveiled a commemorative plaque at Dingwall to mark the end of the upgrade following the refurbishment of the Inverness base, which concluded earlier this year.

Dingwall Community Fire Station just received a major £1.6 million upgrade.
Dingwall Community Fire Station just received a major £1.6 million upgrade.

Chief Officer Haggart said: “The safety and wellbeing of our staff is paramount, and I am proud of the improvements we’ve carried out at our Dingwall and Inverness stations.

“These upgrades ensure our dedicated staff have access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities that support their critical work in protecting the local community.

“Overall, this represents a significant investment into our Highland estate and is the latest part of a comprehensive refurbishment plan across Scotland as we continue to address challenges we face with our ageing estate.

“Our people are the very heart of what we do, and our community fire stations must be fit for our current and future staff, with appropriate facilities and safety measures in place.”

Area Commander Michael Humphreys, Local Senior Officer for Highland, said: “This refurbishment at Dingwall is a major milestone in our wider investment in improving facilities across the Highlands and follows a comprehensive upgrade at Inverness.

“These improvements provide our firefighters with the modern facilities they need to work safely and deliver the highest level of service. They will benefit our local communities for years to come.”

The event to unveil the plaque with Chief Officer Haggart and Area Commander Humphreys earlier today included Dingwall and Seaforth Councillor Graham MacKenzie who is also the chairman of the xouncil’s Communities and Place Committee.

He said: “It was great to be invited to visit the newly upgraded Dingwall fire station and speak to the firefighters about how the new facilities will enable them to continue to deliver lifesaving work within our communities for years to come.

“I’d like to acknowledge our community’s appreciation to all our on-call firefighters for the valuable and selfless work they do to protect us. The improved station facilities will support their critical work and hopefully attract female applicants to consider joining the local crew.”



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