Tower Controller reported having to send an aircraft around due to fire and rescue not being in position.

Date: 2022-05 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: approach

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

Tower Controller reported having to send an aircraft around due to fire and rescue not being in position.

Narrative

Aircraft X [requested priority landing] with Center due to a dual stall indicator malfunction. They had XX souls onboard; couple hours of fuel remaining; and (pilot) requested extended vectors with ZZZ Approach for a long final to control their speed and descent. The pilot also requested to have fire trucks escort them down the runway on rollout. Upon entering the ZZZ Approach airspace; the Supervisor and other members in the Tower were made aware. Before I took position; the Local/Ground position was de-combined and the fire department was alerted to the priority. The aircraft was about 30-35 miles away from the airport at this time. I took the Local position from the relieving Controller a few minutes after the XA00Z hour. After the on-field rescue vehicles were in position; the Fire Department from the city of ZZZ called and instructed the supervisor to not let the aircraft land until the city had arrived. This was unknown to me as I was focused on the priority and other aircraft. Of which there were only 2 other aircraft were in my airspace; but I was ensuring they were in no conflict with the priority. At this point Aircraft X was already established on an extended final. The aircraft came onto Tower frequency and again requested to have the airport rescue vehicles escort them down the runway. I ensured them the rescue vehicles were in place and cleared them to land and issued the wind. About 1-2 mile final; my supervisor came behind me and instructed me to send the aircraft around and cancel landing clearance. No reason was given as to why; and trusting something I didn't see was happening; I issued the go-around. I did not give a reason; as we're prescribed to do. I verbally coordinated with Approach for climb-out instructions; which were Climb to 4000 and fly runway heading. After issuing climb-out and switching to Departure; at this point only did I find out that it was because of earlier call that the City of ZZZ Fire Department had made telling the supervisor to not have them land. I should not have issued the go around as it could have made a bad situation worse. This was not a safe operation due to the nature of the priority being a stall indicator malfunction. The go around put them into a climb and if there were any stall to occur; the pilots would not have known. Being so low to the ground there would be no altitude to recover and it would have made the situation an accident. I recommend that in the case of [priority situations]; that the City of ZZZ not instruct Controllers or pressure Controllers to make unsafe decisions because they were not prepared. If [a priority aircraft] has the ability to land on the ground; where it's safest; they should be allowed to do so.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.