Concern has been raised over the length of time taken for firefighters to attend fire alarms at a Perthshire school.
A Strathtay councillor has heard it was taking "up to an hour" for firefighters to attend.
A shortage of retained firefighters in Highland Perthshire has led to appliances from Perth or Blairgowrie being called to Aberfeldy.
Perth and Kinross group commander Ewan Baird presented an interim Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report to Perth and Kinross Council's housing and communities committee on January 24.
Following his report Strathtay councillor Grant Laing raised concern from local parents about recent fire alarms at Breadalbane Academy in Aberfeldy.
The SNP councillor said: "There are claims of about eight false alarms up there recently and at least two this year in successive days while children were doing prelims.
"Parents are concerned - because of difficulties recruiting retained personnel - appliances are sent from Perth or Blairgowrie and can take up to an hour.
"I find that concerning when we have examples of recent school fires for example in Peebles."
He asked what was being done to recruit retained firefighters.
Group commander Ewan Baird told councillors he believed the eight false alarms were not all malicious but some were accidental whilst systems were getting tested, etc.
He said the issue at Breadalbane was being looked at.
Mr Baird told those present on Monday: "What we were looking at on Friday was mobilisation to that area. As you are probably aware we do have recruitment issues at Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy. And if these all coincide with when we have a call in that area our next nearest available appliances will attend from Perth or Blairgowrie which can take up to 35 minutes I believe to actually attend that area.
"We are doing as much as we actually can to get retained firefighters to join these areas. We have quite positive results. We have got 24 people who are in our workstream to get recruited within Perth and Kinross retained stations so that's going to be happening within the next year."
He said Perth and Kinross "isn't in isolation" in terms of issues with recruitment and retention of retained firefighters.
Cllr Laing suggested it was connected to a shortage of affordable housing in the area and thanked Mr Baird for the recruitment efforts being made in Perth and Kinross.
Strathtay Conservative councillor Anne Jarvis asked how much an issue a lack of affordable housing was to recruitment drives.
Mr Baird said: "I would say the areas impacted by affordable housing would be Dunkeld and Auchterarder. We've seen an increasing number of people particularly in Dunkeld who have moved to Blairgowrie and we recently had one moving to Pitlochry.
"We've got a number of long-serving firefighters at Dunkeld coming up for retirement, particularly the watch commander who's done a commendable 42 years who will be retiring in February."
He told councillors it was "increasingly challenging" to replace firefighters and they were looking for any assistance where possible "particularly up and down the A9 corridor" to raise awareness of their recruitment campaign.
Cllr Jarvis said: "But if there's no accommodation vacant for them that will be adding to your problems considerably."
Mr Baird said: "It is and it's a reflection across Scotland in many areas particularly up in the Highlands. It's not just Perth and Kinross - it's across Scotland."
Cllr Tom McEwan said: "I think as a council we need to look at short-term lets and accommodation in these areas."
