Establishment 2000

Establishment 2001

After the war a Miss Katherine Barry Milner used to come from Stornoway about once a month and the men would get the trailer pump out of D. M. Morrison’s garage set it into a pond and scoot water up the hill then put the pump away, this was their training.

D. M. Morrison was the secretary (sort of Town Clerk) who dealt with the Fire Brigade for the village and was instrumental in getting things for the local brigade and let them use his garage at his house Tigh-A-Chreagain to keep the equipment in until the garage in Scott Road was built.. When the new station was built his son John Murdoch  Morrison got Highland & Islands Fire Brigade to give the old station in Scott Road to the village to keep the village hearse in.

Was B32 Volunteer now B14 Retained
Paging equipment installed 1997/98
Upgraded to retained 1999
Moved into new station March  2001?
The new station is unusual in the fact that it has an upstairs. (This may be unique in the Highland & Islands Fire Brigade?)

With the new brigade structure introduced in the summer of 2003 the 3 Divisions were re-organised into 2 Commands North and South, Tarbert was put into South Command. Call signs remained the same.

Tarbert had a call sign of B14 in The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to U26, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Inverness closed on 6/12/2016 and moved to Dundee.

By Iain MacSween

<PHOTO> The Tarbert firefighters stand outside their new premises and fire engine, joined by Alasdair Morrison MSP and representatives of the Highland and Islands Fire Board. SGD.1866.
<PHOTO> Duncan MacSween, Jimmy Aird, and Donald MacSween, having been presented with Medals for long service and good conduct. Joining them are Divisional Officer Uisdean Maclennan and Convener of HIFB, Drew Macfarlane-Slack. SGD.1865.

The new Tarbert Fire Station was officially opened by Alasdair Morrison MSP on Friday night.
The station, which is situated directly opposite Tarbert Police Station offers an up-to-date facility with a lecture room upstairs.
The Tarbert Fire Brigade are also the recipients of a brand new fire engine.
Divisional Officer Uisdean Maclennan introduced invited guests to the speakers present, Mr Morrison, Drew Macfarlane-Slack, Convener of the Highlands and Islands Fire Board, and Brian Murray, Firemaster of the HIFB.
Mr Murray spoke of how the time when fire stations were old huts was changing rapidly, and the night previous, he had been in attendance at the opening of a new fire station in Ness.
"Only now in Tarbert have we got real and proper equipment and the start of a better service," he said.
Alasdair Morrison said that it was particularly encouraging to see the advances that were being made in the fire service throughout the islands, in Castlebay, the Butt of Lewis, Stornoway and now Harris.
"Infrastructure is if course very necessary, but it is the firemen themselves, who take extraordinary risks when called out, who deserve most credit."
A householder in Harris had the same right to expect every public service found on the mainland, he added, and it was the government's job to ensure that was done.
Chaplain to the Highlands and Islands Fire Board, Mr Matthew Robertson, then said prayer, and a presentation was given for three members of the local brigade in recognition of their long service and good conduct.
Leading Firefighter Jimmy Aird, from Tarbert, Sub Officer Duncan MacSween, and Leading Firefighter Donald MacSween, both from Scalpay, were issued personalised medals for having served more than 20 years in the fire brigade.
Mr Aird was also presented with a surprise fireman figurine donated by his fellow firefighters.
After Alasdair Morrison had unveiled a special plaque for the official opening, a buffet was laid on for guests, and local band Catch 22 played into the small hours in the garage area of the new facility.
(Stornoway Gazette Thursday, June 21, 2001. Page 1.)

Tarbert Fire Station Video    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGqUM44R2a0

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