GENERAL FACTS 1975 ONWARDS

In January 1976 the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Committee (CFBAC) ruled black fire helmets would give way to canary yellow while officers helmets would remain white. Rank markings for all  would all be in black and they also stated that leather  chin straps should replace any plastic ones still in use.
(Fire Magazine January, 1976. Page 390.)

Bleepers will replace North fire sirens. 

Instead of the clamour of bells and whine of sirens, part-time fireman of the Northern Fire Brigade will soon be summoned to action by their own pocket “bleeper”.
But their colleagues in the Grampian Brigade will continue with the old method of centralised control, where they are alerted by the siren sound.
Was introduced to unmanned stations served by Clydebank divisional headquarters in Strathclyde Region on Wednesday, and all emergency calls will now be answered at these stations in response to the bleeper sound.
And next month the Northern Fire Brigade step into the “bleeper age” when the first phase of their radio network and personal bleeper system goes into operation.
It’s an expensive step, for the pocket size bleepers cost about £120 each, but Firemaster Eric McIntyre is in no doubt it is absolutely necessary.
He explained: “With the introduction of the 999 call our present system became obsolescent. We cover such a widespread area, from the Highland Region through the Western Isles to Orkney and Shetland, that we just had to increase the efficiency of our emergency callout system.”

ALARM

The present system, by phone, means that when the call comes through to headquarters at Inverness an ex-directory number is dialled setting off the station alarm.
Then, the first fireman who reaches the station called headquarters on a special line and the operation of dealing with the situation begins.
The new system of radio control and bleepers will bring instant contact and constant liaison between headquarters and station, and, said Mr. McIntyre, will vastly improve fire brigade efficiency. The program will be introduced over the next three years, although there will still be a backup system involving the Post Office.
Grampian Firemaster Mr John C. Donnachie, said the new system was a very good one but felt that, apart from the very expensive nature of providing that for his brigade, the present system operated very well and the advantages of the bleepers just now would be slight.
He said: “We have 34 stations and 457 part-time fireman so you would have some idea of the costs involved. I am by no means against the idea of the new system, and I’m sure it will eventually come in but in the present economic climate, I don’t think the advantages would be all that great.”
Mr. Donnachie pointed out that his brigade had been the first in the UK to centralise their callout system. On an emergency call, the controller at Aberdeen immediately alerted the station by pressing a button on the control panel. All calls go through headquarters in Aberdeen.
This set of the siren in the station involved and the operation began. Mr. Donaghy said: “As an example of how efficient the system is, at Kintore station for example, firemen can be ready to tackle the emergency inside two minutes.”
He admitted that the public were sometimes unhappy about sirens in the night and it was probable that through time they would be faced out throughout the country.
But he added: “The only advantage of the bleepers for us at the moment would be perhaps an individual fireman who could perhaps fail to hear the siren for some reason.
“As far as I am concerned we are regarded as an up-to-date force. But at the moment I see no real necessity to introduce this very expensive system to Grampian.”
One sound that won’t be phased out is the klaxon of the fire tender as it rushes to the scene of an emergency. Both firemasters agreed that its sound is required more than ever nowadays thanks to the vastly increased flow of traffic on our roads.
(The Press and Journal, Friday, February 6, 1976. Page 21)

The 11th November 1977, the Fire Brigades Union go on strike. A strike which lasted for nine weeks, during which time the armed forces provided fire cover with Green Goddesses.

Strathclyde first stripped up appliances with orange or yellow stripes in 1990.

Integrated Personal Development System

13 Operational Ranks to 7 Key Roles.

Rank to Role has been deferred until February 2006.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal
To mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (sixty years on the throne), an official medal will be awarded by the UK Government to those in the Armed Forces and emergency services, and to prison service personnel.
The eligibility criteria includes ‘emergency services personnel who have been in paid service, retained or in a voluntary capacity, who have to face the prospect of dealing with emergencies as part of their conditions of service, and have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2012’.
The medal will be made of nickel silver and has been designed by Timothy Noad, a professional calligrapher and illuminator.
(28/6/2011)

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