All emergency 999 call handling and subsequent mobilising of the appropriate resources and firefighters throughout the Strathclyde area is dealt with by SFR's Operations Support staff at the Operations Support Centre in Johnstone.

They also maintain continuous communication links with appliances and crews at incidents providing dynamic support and information as required to assist in delivering a successful conclusion to all emergency incidents.

The 67 Operations Support staff form a dedicated and skilled team. They are adept at handling a wide variety of incidents and ensure that the public receive an immediate service at all times. The wide variance in the type of risk within the geographical area of Strathclyde places great demands on the staff who support incident attendances including forest fires, aircraft accidents, incidents at nuclear installations, domestic fires and road traffic accidents, which all require a unique and immediate response to ensure successful outcomes. Their part in saving life and increasing community safety is indeed highly significant.

The professionalism of the staff has often been recognised and on two recent notable occasions formal awards have been made to individuals where they have used their skills in giving fire survival guidance on the telephone to members of the public trapped in fires, substantially assisting in their successful rescue.

Strathclyde Fire & Rescue's new emergency Operations Support Centre situated in Johnstone is the most modern and technologically advanced in the British Fire Service. It's emergency call handling and fire appliance mobilising systems enable SFR to provide a faster and more effective response to calls for assistance throughout the Strathclyde area.

The new Integrated Operations Support and Communications System which has been installed in a new purpose built structure has placed Strathclyde Fire & Rescue at the forefront of technology within Emergency Service Control Rooms, and further improved the level of service delivery to the public for which it is responsible.

The new building and systems went "live" on 12th February 2001 in a seamless transition from the old systems in an adjacent building. As planned, no interruption to, or disruption of, any activities was experienced, and the highly trained staff who handle all emergency calls and mobilise SFR's appliances 24 hours a day now have the most up-to-date tools to enable them to provide a more effective and efficient response to all emergencies.

It is a Strathclyde Fire & Rescue priority to continue to develop and support the systems and environment which enable the Operations Support staff to consistently deliver this professional and compassionate service to all those who make contact for assistance.