Turriff is one of only two retained stations in Grampian Fire Brigade with two floors, the other being Aberlour.

A new 2 bay station was opened on 6/4/1961.

Turriff had a call sign of 68 in Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to R49, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Mounthooly closed on 8/11/2016.

An Ambulance is based at Turriff Fire station with 6 staff. (1/11/2023).

New Fire Station 

Turrifff’s new £13,000 fire station will be opened by Councillor George Roberts, chairman of the North East Fire Board, on Thursday.
(Evening Express, Tuesday, April 4, 1961. Page 5)

Turriff’s £13,530 Fire Station Officially Opened 

Turriff’s new £13,000 fire station in Fife Street, which has been in operation since December, was officially opened by Councillor George Roberts, J.P., chairman of the North Eastern Fire Area Joint Board, on Thursday afternoon. The two storey building which took 18 months to construct is the sixth new fire station to be built in Aberdeenshire since 1948. It has everything a fireman could wish for and it contains a recreation room, wash room and a kitchen.
Two fire engines will be stationed there. One of them is a multi modern unit which can carry 400 gallons of water and which can pump 700 gallons of water a minute. This vehicle also has a V.H.F. radio and this means that when the brigade are out at a fire they can keep in direct touch with headquarters in Aberdeen.
Provost G. Riddoch Wood, Turriff, who introduced Councillor Roberts, spoke about the fire service of 40 years ago. He recalled that at time the only fire station in Turriff was a small shed at the top of Market Street.
In the shed there was housed a hand cart, some hoses and a fire pump, and the only means of mobilisation was to drag out the hand cart and pull it to the required stance. The reason for the station being situated in Market Street was because it was the highest part of the town and whenever the fire was in the town they would always have a downhill run.
In those days the fire service personnel consisted of the burgh surveyor, the burgh scavenger and one or two others. That was the position until 1930 when the town council acquired a new fire unit, which was very modern at that time, costing £250.
It was the first really modern fire unit the town council ever acquired and from then on Turriff had more or less a regular fire service. The man in charge from the very beginning, Mr Bill Anderson, was still I charge today.
When war broke out in 1939 the fire board took charge of things. There were one or two units stationed at Castlehill at that time. The council were however keen to have them out of there as they required the property for other purposes. Finally they had moved to this new fire station.
The provost added: “I think they have made a very excellent job of the fire station here. I am sure you will agree that it is a splendid station and that the service units they have here are absolutely adequate for this area.”
The area included not only Turriff but also five parishes of Fyvie, Auchterless, Monquhitter, Turriff and King Edward. The Turriff brigade were however not necessarily confined to that area and during the war they had gone to help fight a fire at Fraserburgh.
Provost Wood said they were indeed grateful to the fire board for the interest they had taken in the fire service in the Turriff area and for providing such a fine station with suitable equipment. Not only had they done this but they had created an interest in the fire service in the area.
On occasions he had timed the Turriff brigade and on one occasion recently he found they had got out within four minutes of the siren sounding. This was excellent when one considered that the firemen were all part-time and were at their employment or home when the siren went.
Commenting on the new building, he said all the men could come to the fire station on an evening and entertain themselves. It was just a sort of club. He added “I am sure you will take advantage of it and we shall hear of you being on the job in a much shorter time that you are at present.”
Councillor Roberts said the personnel at the Turriff station amounted to fourteen when in fact it should be twenty. It was up to the people of Turriff and the members of the fire service to get their friends to come along and bring the branch up to strength.
It was not too much to ask that one or two more members be added to bring it up to full strength so that any fires in the future could be promptly dealt with.
Councillor Roberts then opened the station by pressing a button which sounded the siren. The multi-modern vehicle, which fully equipped cost over £6,000, dashed out of the station with members of the Turriff brigade on board. A short demonstration by the Turriff unit was given in the station yard.
The votes of thanks were proposed by Rev. P. Craik MacQuoid, vice convener of Aberdeen County Council. Also present at the opening was Firemaster W. H. Woods from Aberdeen.
Two firemen who joined the fire service in 1939 were each awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal for long service. They were Sub Officer James Wilson, 11 Church Terrace, Turriff, and Fireman Charles W. R. M’Leod, 54 Fife Street, Turriff.
The awards were presented by Councillor Roberts. He shook hands with every member of the Turriff unit and wished them Luck.
(Banffshire Journal, Tuesday, April 11, 1961. Page 1)

TURRIFF LEADS WAY WITH NEW FIRE UNIT

A north-east town is blazing a trail with a new state-of-the-art fire engine.
Turriff has become one of the first towns in Britain to operate a 10-crew, Swedish-built Scania tender. The new unit could prove to be a life-saver. It will get more firefighters to the scene of a blaze earlier.
And Grampian Fire Brigade said today other North-east stations could get a similar appliance.
Deputy firemaster David Dalziel said: "To have increased numbers of firefighters at an incident at an earlier stage will save lives, limit damage and increase firefighter safety."
The majority of fire engines currently operate with a maximum crew of six.
On occasions, however, engines arrive at emergency scenes with less than full crews.
A brigade spokeswoman said today that one other 10-crew appliance was based at Ballater, although it is not a Scania make. She said Turriff had been chosen as an area which would benefit from a 10-crew.
And she revealed the brigade intended siting a similar appliance at Buckie.
Mr Dalziel claimed the new appliance showed Grampian Fire Brigade was committed to providing the best service to local communities.
He said it demonstrated an innovative approach to the brigade's commitment to the North-east.
Assistant firemaster Mike Morrice was due to present the keys of the new fire unit to councillor Alisan Norrie at Turriff tonight
(Aberdeen Press and Journal. 16/5/2002.)

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

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