No mention in Administration Scheme 1948.

Reading the newspaper report below, I get the impression this was the first Central Area Fire Brigade station in Tillicoultry considering there was no mention of a station in the 1948 Administration Scheme.

26/1/2016 was Station C3, New National Call Sign is M26.

Establishment 2000

                                                                                Equipment                                                                                             Retained

                                                                                1 Water Tender Ladder                                                                       1 Sub Officer
                                                                                                                                                                                                2 Leading Firefighters
                                                                                                                                                                                                7 Firefighters

Station Officers were in charge of retained stations until 1975 when the new Central Region Fire Brigade decided they didn’t want Retained Station Officers and all new Officers in Charge had the rank of Sub Officer. Existing Station Officers retained the rank until they retired.

OUT IN COLD AT FIRE CEREMONY 

The Central; Fire Authority were criticised at Wednesday’s meeting of Tillicoultry Town Council for not inviting all Councillors to the opening of the new fire station in the burgh earlier that day.
Bailie A. Johnston said that he thought that an invitation would have been extended to Councillors who were not fortunate enough to be members of the Central Fire Authority and Dean of Guild R. Heathwood expressed the view that it was ham handed not to invite the Councillors.
Provost Andrew Ross who had attended the opening ceremony, replied that this was a matter which was outwith the control of the Town Council. Representatives had been present from various authorities.
Councillor A. Stalker asked if they were calling it Alva Fire Station, but the Provost quickly brought the discussion to a close by saying, “It was a very pleasant ceremony.”
(Alloa Advertiser, Friday 14^th June, 1968. Page 5)

WEE County’s new fire station
NOTABLE TILLICOULTRY OCCASION 

<Photo> TROPHY PRESENTED. Mr A. Stewart of Messrs Walter Kidde presented the Brigade with a trophy which once belonged to Harry Lauder. Firemaster Parks accepted it.
A fine wee fire station, housing one fire engine, was opened by County Convener R. Kerr in Tillicoultry on Wednesday afternoon. The accommodation, modern in style, consists of a “garage” for the engine, a watch room, a muster bay, a recreation room with a kitchen off it, and ablutions and storage. A drill tower thirty-five feet high is attached to the rear of the building.
The building is on a concrete raft foundation, raised above the original ground level to the level of the street outside, Devondale Crescent.
Chairman Ex-Provost Kelly, in his opening remarks, stressed that the new station would not only be a benefit to Tillicoultry and the Hillfoots from Dollar to Menstrie, but also would supplement Alloa. He spoke of the splendid service provided by the part-time firemen – they were fit to deal with any demands, and he thanked them for their services.

Prevention

County Convener R. Kerr on opening the fire station, said that firefighting was not the main function of the service – fire prevention was the main function. The Central Area had made great strides in this side of the work. But fires still do happen – 27 in the Area in the last month, happily with no loss of life but with some £15,000 worth of damage done. Multiply this by the number of outbreaks throughout Scotland and one had a massive amount of waste and loss of life.
This station was one of the latest of a chain of fortresses in the fight to combat fire. It was reckoned they could reach Menstrie from Tillicoultry in 10½ minutes and Alloa in about the same time – they were strategically placed to be on the spot as soon as possible. For that matter, Grangemouth with its fire risks was just over the water, and if Alloa were called to Grangemouth, Tillicoultry could liase with Alloa and operate there.
He hoped the new station would not be used very greatly; inevitably it would be used; and he thanked the employers who allowed their men to take part in exercising and firefighting.

Siren!

When County Convener Kerr had declared the new station open, the fire siren went off, causing some heart pounding among the surprised bystanders. There was an awkward moment while the fire engine’s engine refused to fire; then it picked up, and away went the appliance, siren sounding, round the town.

Co-operation

Firemaster Samuel H. Park added his own thanks to the employers who freed their men for duty, mentioning in particular Samual Jones, who as large employers of labour had been approached in the early days when the station was being planned. The firm, who have their own brigade, have benefitted too, their own firemen have been intensively trained, and the fire authorities have become very familiar with the firm’s premises. (The Firemaster stressed that any firm with a fire brigade received the same assistance – it wasn’t just because Samuel Jones released workers for firefighting within the brigade.)
The men on the retained station had been going through an intensive training at Alloa while the station was being built.
The Firemaster went on to thank his Committee for the support they had given him in expanding the fire fighting services. “So far they have given me everything I’ve asked for – though they have not always given it when I asked for it.)

Supply!

Provost Ross (hot foot from the meeting of the Health Committee in Alloa) began by joking that he did not know whether the new station had been sited in Tillicoultry because of an unfortunate run of mill and house fires there, of because County Convener Kerr wanted to look after the County Council properties they had been erecting in Tilly.
He was glad to hear Tillicoultry described as “strategically placed” – that was just how they thought of themselves.
More seriously, he spoke of his respect for the firefighting service and commented that it seemed to him that they sometimes came from Alloa in under the 10½ minutes mentioned.
Welcoming the service to Tillicoultry, he assured them, “We’ll look after you well, and we know you’ll look after us well.”
Representing the Scottish Home and Health Department, Mr A. Macdonald spoke of the increased duties placed on the fire service in the field of fire prevention and (in spite of the success of the education given to the public) in fighting big fires. Hence the building programme, to try and contain the problem.
He congratulated the authority on “such a lovely little station, harmonising with the Hillfoots scenery” and he wished the men who would operate it all success.

Presentations

A number of men were presented with Long Service and Good Conduct medals – given said the Firemaster, for a good job very well done over twenty years. They were: Assistant Divisional Officer D. McNiven, Clydebank; Station Officer N. E. Andrew, Alloa; Leading Fireman A. J. Dawson, Alloa; Leading Fireman G. C. Hartnell, Clydebank – the Provost of Clydebank made this presentation – Fireman J. Cattenach, Stirling, Fireman Middleton, Falkirk, and the son of the man in charge at Alloa many years ago, Fireman J. C. Milne, Alloa.

Trophy

Mr A. Stewart, General Manager of Messrs Walter Kidde and Son, Hillington, who make a foam firefighting appliance, presented the Brigade with a cup to be competed for annually as a gesture of thanks for assistance rendered by the brigade to the company. They had tried out their foam appliance in a series of experiments on the old Queen of Bermuda and the Central Fire area had given them every assistance.
Mr Stewart said that his company was an American one. The cup had been bought at Lauder Ha’ sale, and was one which had been presented to Sir Harry Lauder by a Caledonian Society in America, so in a sense it had come full circle.
Returning thanks, Firemaster Park said that the fire authority had gained invaluable experience during the company’s experiments on the ship – it had been unbelievable that the fire in the boiler room, which was “going like a bomb” should be quelled by foam in six minutes and seven seconds.

Thanks

An exhaustive and comprehensive vote of thanks was given by Mr A. K. Davidson, Convener of Stirling County Council. In thanking the contractors, he added “And would you keep in mind that there were a whole lot of workmen too.”
After the speeches, the men of the new station demonstrated ladder work on their training tower, and put their hoses into action – a most impressive jet of water arching into the adjacent field.
Then came tea, the company being the guests of the County Council.
<Photo> READY FOR ACTION. The part time firemen who will man the unit housed in the new statin in “battle order” in front of the Tillicoultry engine.
(Alloa Advertiser, Friday 14^th June, 1968. Page 7)

If you know of any mistakes in this or have any additional information please let me know.

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