Picture of Yesnabay Cliffs


The personnel in our Command and Control Centre ensure that any calls for assistance from the public or other emergency services, both within our Service area and as part of mutual assistance arrangements, are answered efficiently and promptly and an appropriate response made relevant to the identified risk.

During the process, our Control personnel will endeavour to accurately identify the location and nature of the incident and any possible further risks to the lives of both the people already on scene and our personnel prior to mobilising our resources.   This ensures that our operational crews are prepared to meet the requirements of the incident on arrival enhance, and appropriate fire survival guidance can be given to the caller, if needed.

Where appropriate personnel will implement specific procedures such as those for callers with hearing difficulties, speech impairment or language difficulties or for initiating call traces where insufficient information can be obtained.

The duty Control Supervisor will monitor the overall availability of resources and implement arrangements to ensure operational cover is available throughout the large geographical area of the Highlands and Islands.  Where resources have been mobilised to an incident, Control, as well as maintaining an accurate log of our activities at an incident, undertake the role of incident support, involving activities such as: 
 

  • Implementation of specific plans to deal with identified risks 
  • Liaising with outside agencies such as the Royal Air Force, MCA and Ferry Operating companies to provide transportation to incidents in isolated locations.
  • Mobilising additional assistance as requested from the incident (e.g. additional personnel, appliances, equipment such as BA cylinders, thermal image cameras, etc.)
  • Identifying, retrieving and forwarding information to personnel at incidents, such as forestry plans, emergency plans etc.
  • Liaising with external agencies, who may be in attendance at an incident or may be able to provide expertise, advice or information sources.
  • Implementing part or all of our Service's Large Scale or Major Incident Plan.