Inside Dundee fire control room as Storm Babet wreaked havoc

A Dundee fire control room operator has recalled the “overwhelming challenge” of handling emergency calls during Storm Babet.

Louise Kettles, from Perth, is one of more than 50 firefighter control staff members based at the Scottish Fire and Rescue service control room in Dundee.

The law graduate switched careers in 2022 and was part of the team that managed thousands of emergency calls during Storm Babet last year.

She says some of the calls she took during those few days will “stay with me forever”.

Storm Babet ‘unlike anything I’ve experienced before’

Speaking just ahead of the year’s anniversary of the storm, Louise told The Courier: “It was an extremely busy time for us with calls constantly coming in.

“No one got a chance to blink.

“The scale of the disaster was beyond anything I had experienced before.

“You can speak to people at their absolute worst on this job but a calm comes over you as you take control of the situation.

“Our role is to reassure the public while firefighters get to the scene.

“A few calls from that time will stay with me forever.

“It was a devastating time for so many who had their houses destroyed, but I like to think we made a difference.

“I left that day feeling that we’d made a real difference.

“Although we weren’t wading through the floods, we still had an important role to play.

“Despite the overwhelming challenge, we all worked together and gave our best to serve our community.”

Louise swapped law for fire service control room

Lousie, a Dundee University graduate, previously worked with an overseas law firm before joining the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The 36-year-old added: “I had a great job, but I knew I was not making the kind of impact I wanted to.

“I have always admired emergency service workers but thought it was too late for me to make a change.

“I grew up surrounded by people in the fire service but I didn’t think climbing ladders was for me.

“However, when I saw the opening in the control room I thought, ‘Why not?’

“It’s the best job in the world, it’s very rewarding and I love what I do.”

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting for fire control staff across its centres, including at Macalpine Road in Dundee.

Louise hopes others will follow in her footsteps, adding: “People are often afraid of changes, but if you feel a calling to help others, don’t hold back.

“The work we do in emergency services is tough, but it’s incredibly rewarding.”