Red alert at Blairgowrie' Angus Hotel

Mar 12 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

EIGHT fire trucks and 30 firefighters were dispatched to a suspected chemical incident at a luxury Blairgowrie hotel on Wednesday night.

Officers at Tayside Fire and Rescue’s command and control centre scrambled the units – two from Blairgowrie, one from Alyth, three from Perth and two from Dundee – just after 8pm.

About 30 guests and 15 staff at the Angus Hotel were evacuated and three police vehicles were rapidly on the scene.

However, the suspected toxic incident turned out to be a false alarm with the source of the smouldering chemical-like smell traced to a malfunctioning pump in the hotel’s spa bath plant room.

TFR watch manager Jennifer Johnston said the relatively minor hazard was swiftly brought under control with an extinguisher while firefighters were en route.

“It was quite a large turnout but a normal and appropriate response for jobs of this nature,” she said yesterday.

“When we respond to an incident where we suspect chemicals are involved it scales up to a large force, with measures like protective suits, cordons, zones and special appliances for the removal or extinguishing of chemicals.”

Among vehicles dispatched to Blairgowrie was a command support unit and decontamination pump for establishment of a decontamination zone including an inflatable shower designed to remove toxins from skin.

“In this day and age, for resilience purposes, we have to be extremely cautious,” she said.

Quashing rumours of panic-like scenes on the premises, an Angus Hotel spokesman said firefighters had been alerted after the building’s fire detection system indicated a problem.

“Our guests and staff were evacuated but were soon able to return inside to enjoy the rest of their night,” he said.