Establishment 2000

St Monans had a call sign of B7 in Fife Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to N26, the new National Call Sign, when Thornton Control closed on 30/3/2016.

FIRE STATION CLOSED BY DISPUTE 

A dispute over whether St. Monance in Fifeshire should have a new fire station has led to the closure of the old station there, following notice to quit from St. Monance Town Council to the Fife Fire Area Joint Committee.
The old fire station adjoined the Town Hall.
The town council wants St. Monance to have new station, but Fife Fire Area Joint Committee does not consider one necessary, since a new retained station has recently been completed three miles away at Anstruther and has a drill ground and drill tower, cost some £10,000 and is served by a modern water tender.
Says Firemaster A. J. Greenslade, MBE, GIFireE: “The notice to quit left no opportunity to have a fire appliance on the run in St. Monance itself and therefore under the regulations it was necessary to terminate the services of six retained firemen due to the fact that they could not continue to turn out or carry out drills, etc., in accordance with obligations.
“At this time the committee is pursuing a line of inquiry which may better serve the area under review, to secure fire protection at Elie, approximately 2½ miles distant to the east on the coast road”
Following the terms of the Standards of Fire Cover Report, the committee cannot understand how St. Monance
“with a population of under 1,000 and being little more than a village in extent and surrounded by rural areas” could be classified as any other but a “D” risk.
(Fire magazine, June 1963. Page 38)

ST MONANCE HAS A FIRE STATION AGAIN

<PHOTO> BAILLIE WILSON ARRANGES FIRST "CALL OUT"

ST MONANCE’S long struggle to have a fire station in the burgh again was finally crowned with success on Thursday morning, when the new station was officially opened, just one year after the old one closed.
The new station, which will serve St. Monance district, Elie and Earlsferry and assist Anstruther and Methil brigades, is situated amongst the town’s new houses and is equipped with a more modern and efficient appliance than was the old station………………………eight men. The brigade, under sub-officer W. Buchan can be turned out in an average time of three and a half to four minutes. The old St. Monance brigade at one time held the record for the fastest turnout.
At the opening ceremony, Chairman, Police Judge A. Frederick, Dunfermline, vice chairman of Fife Fire Area Joint Committee, welcomed guests and said it was a very auspicious occasion for St. Monance and the district and the fire personnel in Fife.
"I am sure that this new station," he went on, "will be a source of great comfort for miles around and I am sure that the men who will man this station will be of the same calibre as those we have throughout the whole of the Fife Fire Service. I wish them nothing but success." he added.
Bailie W. Wilson, Buckhaven and Methil, chairman of Fife Fire Area Joint Committee said that the opening of the new station, with up to date equipment and the fully trained, efficient personnel, marked another milestone in the expansion of the Fife Fire Service and a notable date in the history of the Burgh of St Monance.
He was sure that the crew who would man the appliance would be the first to appreciate the modern facilities which had been incorporated in the station and the vehicle, as compared with the old. He was sure they, in turn would respond as enthusiastically in future as they had done in the past, maintaining the good name of Fife Fire Service and the St. Monance Fire Brigade.
"They have a good record," he said, "and we all know that the fire service, being called an emergency service, will be called on not only to put out fires and save lives and property, but they may be called on to assist in the event of accidents, floods and disasters. I am confident that the members of St. Monance Fire Brigade will not be found wanting if any of these occasions arise.
"In no service is a better spirit demonstrated than in the fire service, and the public owe the firemen of this country an irredeemable debt.
"It says much for the retained firemen who, after their day’s work, are prepared to give of their leisure time to play their part in this great national service.
"I sincerely hope the public will also respond by calling the Fire Brigade immediately they know of any occurances and avail themselves of any advice the fire service can give them, in order to protect lives and property, prevention being the watchword." he added.
Baillie Wilson concluded by wishing the St. Monance Brigade good luck and complete success in the future.
Provost J. Braid who spearheaded St. Monance’s fight to have a station in the town, thanked the fire officials present for giving St. Monance such a fine station. "Though I may say it took a little persuasion." he added.
The expenditure on the station, he said, was very worth while, both to prevent fires and to make it safer for those in that community and that particular district.
(The Fife Mail, February 24, 1965. Page 8.)

FIFE OPENS EIGHTH STATION IN TEN YEARS 

The formal opening of a new retained station at St Monance by the Chairman of the Fife Fire Area Joint Committee, Bailie William Wilson, marked progress in that it was the eighth retained station to be opened in Fife during the last 10 years. Present at the opening were HMI A. D. Wilson, Firemaster P. Watters, and other civic dignitaries. Chairman for the event was Judge of Police A. Frederick, Vice Chairman of the Fife Fire Area Joint Committee.
Under active consideration is the building of four more Stations: one wholetime to serve the interests of the new town of Glenrothes, and three retained to replace the stations at Cupar, St Andrews and Tayport.

Of timber

The station at St Monance is timber built with all modern amenities serving a community of approximately 1,700 people. Other than that it is not built of brick, it differs in no way whatsoever from other stations which have been erected in Fife. Firemaster Watters points out that a timber built station has an approximate life of 15 to 25 years and is built at relatively low cost upon foundations which can be readily used in the construction of a brick built station.
Shortly after the station was opened the Unit was turned out to an incident at an hotel, which was promptly dealt with.
(Fire Magazine, June, 1965. Page 34.)

Fire Station

The new fire station to serve St. Monans and the East Neuk was officially opened on Friday by Councillor Robert Gough, convener of Fife Region, in the presence of Firemaster John White, other fire officers, officials who had been responsible for the design and building of the £27,000 station, Regional councillors, St. Monans unit retained firemen and other invited guests. Inside this first class building, Mr Gough was introduced by Councillor Colin Groom, chairman of the protective services committee. Before officially opening the station, the convener paid tribute to the fire service and the retained firemen in particular. He reminded all present that St. Monans would never have had a fire station in the first instance if it had not been for the efforts of Mr Braid, the then provost of St. Monans, who, in spite of the fact that Fife County Council’s fire committee and the Council had recommended there should not be a fire station in St. Monans in 1965, had pressed the case to the Secretary of State and had led a public inquiry and won the case for a station. The convener praised the excellent facilities that were available in this new building and congratulated the unit’s retained firemen for all their efforts. Firemaster White suitably replied before convener Gough unvieled the plaque. All the guests were then shown through the building and all were greatly impressed with the facilities available. Mr Braid presented the new station with a framed picture of the opening ceremony of the old station in 1967.
(East Fife Mail, July 1st 1992. Page 27.)

FIGHTING FIRES FOR 60 YEARS

Special Feature by PATRICIA KANE

ST MONANS is this week celebrating 60 years of firefighting.
Nowadays the village has a new state-of-the-art fire station, which was opened on June 26, 1992, but firefighting had much humbler beginnings.
The first firefighting crew was established around 1933 and consisted of five men – Mr J. Gowans, Mr J. Ritchie, Mr. R. Wood, Mr J. Stewart and former Provost Mr W. Dunn.
Their firefighting equipment was merely an extinguisher, a hose, a barrow and a standpipe, all kept in a shed behind the town hall, which had once served as a football pavilion.
St Monans regional councillor, James Braid, who was born and bred in the village, recalled: "The means of raising the alarm was by going from door to door, giving notice of fire."
When Jim Stewart left the team in 1937, he was replaced by Jim Allan, a young plumber in the village.
Mr. Allan, who is now 76 years old and the oldest surviving crew member, said: "I was about 20 years old or so at the time and they offered me 10 shillings a year when I joined as a volunteer."

SIREN

During the Second World War, the schoolmaster’s garage was used as a fire station before they moved to what is now St Monans Library.
"At this stage, we got an Austin van and a trailer pump," recalled Mr Allan.
"Bells were fitted to the houses of the crew members and used between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m."
Councillor Baird went on: "They had an air raid siren at the town hall, and during the daytime, I can remember clearly the siren was used to summon the firefighters to the fire station."
Most of the crew worked at Miller’s boatyard. Mr. Allan explained: "The bosses were very understanding. They had to be because we would all just disappear!
"Over the years, there were one or two fires at the boatyard itself. One of the sheds went on fire once, but we couldn’t deal with it until we had all run to the town hall to get the equipment and then run back again."
The station was closed down but, after a public campaign, it was replaced by another on a new site in Castle Street in February 1965.
"It was closed down because it wasn’t big enough to hold the new fire engine," explained Mr. Allan, who was by now leading fireman.
"The new station was not as convenient for the crew as the old one behind the town hall – we had to cycle or use vans to get to it from the boatyard.
"But we now had a proper fire engine instead of a van and a trailer pump.
"One the day the station officially opened, I remember we had to stage a drill exercise for all the guests and dignitaries who were there."
The St Monans crew, who trained for two hours every week, were known as drill experts – during the 1950s, they had won a Fife wide cup and managed to set a new record by completing a fire pump drill in just 55secs.
Mr Allan later took early retirement from the fire service but admits that he misses it sometimes.

EQUIPMENT

"When I used to hear a siren, I would wonder what was going on," he said.
"It’s all change now though. For a start we didn’t have breathing apparatus sets.
"When a building was full of smoke, we couldn’t get into it.
"When we eventually got compressed air, it was a big help.
"We didn’t have the cutting equipment that they have now either."
The 1960’s fire station – which was built from wood – was eventually replaced two years ago by a new £27,000 building on the same site.
<PHOTO> For the record…St Monans fire station’s record setting team, who completed a five pump drill in just 55 seconds during the mid 1950s. From left: J.Allan, A.Wilson, leading fireman W.Buchan, P.Scott and W.Wood.
<PHOTO> The station’s winning ladder and pump drill teams from the mid 1950s. Pictured are: back row, from left – J.Guthrie, W.Wood, J.Allan, A.Meldrum and W.Tasker. Front – W.Duncan, A.Wilson, Sub officer J.Gowans, leading fireman W.Buchan and P.Scott.
<PHOTO> The first St. Monans fire engine in 1965, housed in the village’s new timber built station. (LFG441)
<PHOTO> The official opening of St Monans fire station in 1965. Pictured are: back row, from left - Sub officer W.Buchan, J.Hutt, A.Wilsom, A.Hodge, W.Peat, J.Allan, leading fireman H.Tilbrook, T.Peattie, D.Morris and Station Officer T.Lewis. Front - D.Fmr. Simpson, Provost Braid, Councillor Wilson, Fmr Watters, A.D.Wilson of H.M.C.I.F.S., and former Provost Frederick. (in front of the appliance)
<PHOTO> A new £27,000 fire station was opened in St Monans two years ago (photo of 1992 station)
<PHOTO> The St Monans team which won the Station Efficiency Shield in the mid 1970s. Back Row, from left – A.Allen, W.Kennan, G.Webster, W.Horsburgh and W.Gowans. Front – D.Morris, W.Peat, J.Hutt and T.Peattie.
<PHOTO> Ringing the changes…An Austin van and trailer, similar to the one used by the crew between 1946 and 1965, and the modern appliance now used by the team. (D905ESG)

Open Nights

THE fire station special anniversary is being marked by open evenings last night (Tuesday) and tonight.
From 7 p.m. onwards, residents will be able to see equipment and uniforms relating to the fire service over the years.
Photographs of incidents and personnel, and a video of various aspects of firefighting and training, will also be shown.
There will also be an opportunity to view the station and appliances and meet past and present crew members.
On Friday evening an official function will be held in the fire station, attended by Fife Firemaster John white and other personnel and guests.

Closure attempt defeated

ST MONANS almost lost its fire station in the early 1960s.
But regional councillor James Braid - then Provost of St Monans – fought for the stations retention.
He forced a public enquiry to be held, and successfully convinced the reporter that there was still a need for a station in the village.
Councillor Braid explained: "About 1964, Fife County Council said we didn’t need a fire station in St Monans.
"I fought very hard to have it retained and a public enquiry was held in the town hall.
"I put forward the argument that because there was a boatyard in St Monans there should be a fire station.
"The reporter was convinced by our arguments."
A new station opened in St Monans in 1965.
Recalling the official ceremony Councillor Braid said: "There was a lot of local support for the station so there was a great attendance on the day.
"The fire crew were a great crowd of lads and very popular.
(East Fife Mail, May 18th 1994. Pages 24 and 25.)

The present station is on the site of the 1965 station in Castle Street, the old station was demolished and while the new one was being built the machine was kept in a temporary station at the boatyard? for about eight months. The men wanted the new station to be built down at the factory units but the brigade couldn't afford to buy a piece of ground as well built a station.

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