GRETNA HAS A FIRE BRIGADE AGAIN
New £19,000 station officially opened

For the third time Gretna has got a fire brigade. On the two previous occasions the brigade has been set up in wartime. Now the firemen will operate from a fine new £19,000 station at Central Avenue which was officially opened, with a short ceremony on Thursday evening.
It will be manned by ten part-time fireman, and at present seven men have been recruited and trained.
The Gretna firemen have already answer two calls to fires in the area, and their quick turnout was praised by their superiors.
It is hoped that by the middle of next year the station will be re-equipped with one of the most up-to-date fire engines in the country.
Police Judge H. Jamieson, Dumfries, chairman of the Fire Board, presided at the official opening ceremony. He said that Gretna fire station although on the administration scheme for the South Western Area Fire Brigade had to be closed down in 1948 due to lack of suitable premises and Annan was made up to a two pump station to temporarily cover the risk. There was also an agreement with Cumberland County Fire Brigade that Longtown Fire Station would turn out to all fires in the Gretna area.
“This worked reasonably well,” said Mr Jamison, “but did not satisfy the district council, the county council or the local residents. It was a question of priorities and I am pleased to say that finally a site was made available by the county council and approval received some two years ago to go ahead with this very fine new station.”
He said that the station followed the pattern of all new stations in the South West and that it was capable of another appliance bay being added should that be required in the future. Dumfries County Council had been most helpful in every way and the architects, Messrs Sutherland, Dickie and Partners, had produced a very fine functional fire station that the personnel could be proud of.
“The fireman,” he added, “have trained very hard to give a reasonable account of themselves at incidents of fire, and I am sure that they will continue to improve their efficiency until they will hold their own with other colleagues in the fire service. I would like to give you some advice: the first is experience and the second is common sense. These are things no money can buy a no university or college can teach you.”
Mr Jamieson expressed this thanks to the county education committee for the use of the school playground for training and for the co-operation of the headmaster and janitor, and also to Police Sergeant Archibald Smith, Gretna, for his assistance in recruiting the personnel.
Concluding, he wished the members of the Gretna station God speed in the service which they render to the public in times of stress.
Mr R. H. Wilson, chairman of Gretna District Council, spoke of the pleasure it gave him in having such a fine station at Gretna. “We can now sleep soundly in bed at night knowing we are safe in their hands.”
Mr John F. Curran, vice chairman of the Fire Board, conveyed the best wishes of the Board to the firemen and said he was sure they would be conscious of the fact that people’s lives were now in their hands and act in a very responsible way.
County councillor for Gretna parish Mr R. G. Greenhow, said that the provision of a fire station at Gretna was something for which he had been pressing for fifteen years.
He said that when Gretna township was set up by the War Department in the First World War they had a fire brigade, but when the war finished they unfortunately lost the fire brigade. At the outbreak of the second war they got another fire brigade, but the station was closed down in 1948.
“In between the periods we have had no fire brigade,” said Mr Greenhow. “We have been covered, as the chairman has said, by the Annan and Longtown fire brigades. I would like to express on behalf of the people of Gretna and the Gretna area our very sincere thanks to these brigades for the very efficient way they have looked after us during these years.”
Tea was served to the guests by the fireman and they were thanked by Mr A. F. Wilson, clerk to the Fire Board who also proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman.
(Dumfries and Galloway Standard Wednesday, 6 November, 1968. Page 4)

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