Q20 DYCE

1 Pump, 1 Incident Support Vehicle Retained. 1 Fire Investigation Unit.

 

Stations

 

5/10/1984                          Pitmedden Road, DYCE.                                Photo

 

 

Officer in Charge

 

5/10/1984 to ? 

Sub Officer  ?

25/7/2011? to ?

Watch Commander Brian Munro

? to ?

Watch Commander Gary Coutts

? to ?

Watch Commander Brian Simpson

? to

Watch Commander George Edmonds and WC Kev Galashan (R31) during the day (24/6/2023)

24/6/2023 George Edmonds is the Watch Commander, Kev Galashan stays in Inverurie where he is the WC but works in Dyce where he is the WC during the day.

 

Appliances

1984 ? A 1983 Dodge WrL

1985

?

Received 1 Dodge G13

?

1986 C98RSA Dodge G13/Mountain Range WrL

1990

F430GSA

Renault G13/Mountain Range

WrL

1998

L743KRS

Scania 93M-210/Emergency One

WrL

 

 

First

Second (Retained)

Incident Support Vehicle Fire Investigation Unit

1998

H286SSA

T196ASE

   

2000

X992NSA

T196ASE

   
2006 SV06EZU T196ASE SV08HBP  
2009 SV57BPY T196ASE SV08HBP  
2011 SV11ATF T196ASE SV08HBP  
2011 July 25 T196ASE (RDS) Only 1 RDS appliance now no WT SV08HBP  
2016 July KV65SZZ   SV08HBP  
2017 June KV65SZZ   SV08HBP SV12VKX
2023 Feb KV65SZZ   SV08HBP SV71VSV
2025 March SP74VDZ   SV08HBP SV71VSV

 

H286SSA

Scania 93M-210/Mountain Range

WrL

T196ASE

Scania 94D-220/Emergency One

WrL

X992NSA

Scania 94D-220/Emergency One

WrL

SV06EZU Scania 270/Emergency One (CP31 10 man cab) WrL
SV57BPY Scania 270/Emergency One (CP31 10 man cab) WrL
SV08HBP Mercedes Sprinter 311 ISV
SV11ATF Scania P230/Emergency One (CP31 10 man cab) WrL
SV12VKX Volkswagen LWB FIU
KV65SZZ Volvo FL/Emergency One WrL
SV71VSV Mercedes Sprinter 316 CDi/Angloco FIU
SP74VDZ Iveco Eurocargo 140-250/Emergency One MWRP

 

 

Brigades

 

1984 to 2003

Grampian Fire Brigade

2003 to 2013

Grampian Fire and Rescue Service (name change only)

1/4/2013 Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

 

Notes

 

Establishment 2023

  Equipment Retained

 

1 Rescue Pump

1 Watch Commander

 

1 Incident Support Vehicle

3 Crew Commanders

 

 

9 Firefighters

 

Opened as Retained Station and went operational 5/10/1984.

Upgraded to Wholetime/Retained 20/3/1995

Station reopened after refurbishment 12/1/2000. While the station was being refurbished the machines were kept in the car park along with a Portacabin which housed the men.

On Monday the 25th July 2011, the wholetime pump and crews moved to Altens Fire Station and Dyce became a retained station.

Dyce had a call sign of 78 in Grampian Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to Q20, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Mounthooly closed on 8/11/2016.

14/12/2016 The new North Service Delivery Area Headquarters which is part of Dyce Fire Station was Officially Opened by the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Annabelle Ewing.

 

 

DYCE – STATION 78

With the expansion to the Aberdeen suburb through housing, Oil related Industries and the increasing traffic flow to and from Aberdeen Airport it was decided that a new “PART - TIME’ Fire Station would need to be sited to the north of the city, which would cope with the ever increasing demands.
A suitable location for this new venture, the second FIRE STATION to be opened in the ABERDEEN area within eighteen months had to be found. Pitmedden Road in the suburbs of Pitmedden Industrial Estate was deemed to be a suitable site, thus complying with a Home Office ruling, stating, that a Fire Appliance must reach any location in the City within a prescribed time limit (traffic build up on the City’s Auchmill Road making it increasingly difficult to meet these requirements).
Plans for the building were drawn up by Mr. W. S. Scott , RIBA, ARIAS, Director of Architectural Services for the Grampian region, (who also designed ALTENS FIRE STATION), working closely in conjunction with the Fire Authority to establish the needs of a present day Fire Service. The successful tender for the building’s construction was received from an Elgin company, GORDON FORBES CONTRACTORS pricing the undertaking at an initial cost of £294,000.
Initially one fire pumping appliance will be berthed at DYCE STATION although garaging facilities are provided for an extra appliance, if and when required. Provisions have also been made in the design for the construction of an extra appliance bay at a later date. Following an advert in the Dyce Community News-sheet a substantial amount of applications were received by the Fire Brigade from various individuals and firms, stating an interest in being considered for Retained Firemen’s duties. To provide adequate “manning” for the appliance a complement of around ten firefighters are employed, given initial training at the GRAMPIAN FIRE BRIGADE’S TRAINING SCHOOL at North Anderson
Drive, followed by a two hour training session each week. Every aspect of firefighting is included in the instruction, with special emphasis on items such as the handling of ladders, knot tying, the operation of fire pumps and familiarisation with all pieces of equipment carried on the appliance (such as cutting equipment). With the continuing use of man made plastics and polymers into our living and working areas, of which most emit toxic fumes and smoke when involved in fire situations, special instruction is given into the use and wearing of Breathing Apparatus and Resuscitation Equipment. The first Fire Appliance to be stationed at Dyce will be a 1983 Dodge Water Tender Ladder. This unit is part of the recognised first strike appliances in the GRAMPIAN FIRE BRIGADE and vehicles of this type have proved their efficiency and worth to the Region in recent years. The finish of “luminescent day-glo" paint has led to these units being affectionately named “The Pink Panthers” by the firefighters. The cost of such an appliance fully equipped is approximately £50,000 with items such as a 13.5 metre ladder, Breathing Apparatus sets, cutting gear, hose and fittings, etc., being included in the price.
The customary drill tower features very much in the plans, with the purpose of testing the fire crew with situations which would involve the use of the various ladders carried on the appliance
Station ECHO 78- DYCE, as it will be known within the GRAMPIAN FIRE BRIGADE, became operational on 6th October, 1984 - ready to provide a high level of fire cover to the Dyce Community and provide a back-up service to the City’s three full-time Stations - the result of the provision of the best equipment presently available, the very high rigorous standard of training provided to the firefighters from the Brigade’s Training Staff and, most importantly, the enthusiasm of the fire crew to learn and carry out their firefighting duties
(Northern Light, Edition 12. Page 7.)

Fire chief’s bid for station 

Dyce Fire Station should be upgraded to a fulltime station, Grampian Fire Chief Thomas Bond was recommending today.
At Grampian Regional Council’s public protection committee he proposed that a fire engine should be established there along with eight uniformed firemen and two backup staff.
Mr Bond has also asked that Peterhead fire station be upgraded from its present retained status to daytime manning.
(Aberdeen Evening Express, Thursday October 27, 1983. Page 11)

Dyce fire station opens 

The new fire station at Dyce opened at the weekend and the part-time firemen manning it have already had several callouts.
The station, built at a cost of more than £330,000, is at the junction of Pitmedden Road and Kirkton Avenue.
The new facility means firemen can attend and emergency in Dyce and its surrounding area much more quickly. The 10 part-timers on call can assemble at the station within a minute of being alerted on their personal pagers.
Until now, fires at Dyce have been attended by appliances from brigade headquarters in Anderson Drive and the King Street station, with the units having to make their way to Dyce through heavy traffic at rush hours.
The Dyce station, the fourth in the Aberdeen area, will have an official opening later in the year.
(The Press and Journal, Monday October 8, 1984. Page 3) 

ROUND THE CLOCK fire cover will be provided at Dyce fire station by crews and machines redeployed from Aberdeen Training Centre, it was announced. The beleaguered centre needs fewer staff after losing a £1 million contract and scaling down work.
(Evening Express, Saturday, November 12, 1994. Page 10)

Dyce to get full fire cover 

Round the clock cover is being introduced at Dyce Fire Station next week, it was announced today.
From Monday the station will be manned by fulltime firefighters, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Grampian Fire Brigade has been planning to upgrade the station for some time, due to increased demand and problems recruiting retained fire crews.
The Dyce station is currently operated under the retained system, where fire crews are not at the station 24 hours a day, and are alerted to emergencies by pager at their homes or workplace.
The new extended service will be backed up by existing retained crews.
(Aberdeen Evening News, Thursday, March 16, 1995. Page 5)

Revamped Dyce Fire Station opens 

Dyce Fire Station was officially re-opened last night after a £1.2 million refurbishment.
Lord Provost Margaret Smith officially launched the upgraded facility at a ceremony attended by North-east fire board members and Dyce Community Council.
Opened in 1984, the station in Pitmedden Road was built as part of the town’s expansion, originally as a part-time facility with one engine.
The fire board acknowledged the continued growth of Dyce by providing full time firefighters and retained personnel. Firemaster John Williams said the improved station brought the Dyce facility into line with others in Aberdeen.
“As the station was not originally built to be crewed on a 24-hour basis, this required additional facilities to accommodate the full time personnel.
“Work on extension and re-furbishment began in 1988 and was completed in November 1999,” said Mr Williams.
“The re-furbishment of the station demonstrated the commitment the fire board is making to the Dyce community. The upgraded facilities provided bring Dyce into line with those provided at all other fulltime stations in Aberdeen.”
Because of the relatively ill-equipped facility, a posting to Dyce was never the most glamorous for firefighters, he said.
“This upgrading removes any reservations our firefighters may have regarding serving here.”
(The Press and Journal, Thursday January 13, 2000. Page 3)

 

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

 

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