Dunvegan Life Saving Apparatus was alerted to a fire between Westerstien Heads and Ramasaig Head in Moonen Bay. Due to access difficulties Barrs's Castlebay Lifeboat was sent. (Press and Journal 23/2/1959. Page 1)

DUNVEGAN
Following representations from the community a volunteer unit has been set up at Dunvegan and it is pleasing to report that an enthusiastic crew of 9 volunteers has been recruited. This unit is prepared to move outwith the village and will prove helpful to Portree, should the need arise, at incidents on the west side of the island.
(Firemaster’s Annual report 1966/67)

1997/98 Paging equipment installed.

1998 was station A32

Ground purchased for new station. (Fire Board minutes Jan 2002)

Plans to build a new fire station at the former council yard at Lonmore, Dunvegan on Skye have been submitted to Highland Council by Highlands & Islands Fire Brigade.  (July 2004.)

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

On 1st April 2005 along with 61 other units Dunvegan was upgraded to a Retained Unit, drilling one night per week and receiving a retaining fee.

New Station being built July 2005.

Station went Operational November 2006. Official opening new station 24/8/2007

Scottish Ambulance Service are putting 2 lockers against the wall just inside the rear bay door to keep equipment in which will be used for the weekly washing of the ambulance. (The Ambulance is kept at the driver’s house)

Dunvegan had a call sign of B53 in The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to T31, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Inverness closed on 6/12/2016 and moved to Dundee.

Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service 

Dunvegan Fire Station 

Opening Ceremony 

Friday 24 August 2007

Chief Fire Officer’s Welcoming Address: 

May I welcome all our guests and friends here today to the opening of the new Dunvegan Fire Station.
The Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service is committed to driving down risk in all our communities across our Service area.
Today, we take another step towards this key objective in opening the new Dunvegan Fire Station. To serve, along with the Firefighters based here, the local community and the wider community of Skye and Lochalsh.
I am very pleased to have here today, members of the Fire Board and particularly Fire Board Convener, Mr Richard Durham, who I am pleased to say will perform the Official Opening Ceremony.
Thank you all for attending, and supporting the work of this Service. 

Chief Fire Officer Brian Murray. 

Order of Opening Ceremony 

Guests piped into Station
Mr Angus Munro, Local Piper 

Welcome and Introduction by District Officer
Group Manager Notman 

Introduction from Chief Fire Officer
Brian A Murray 

Address and Unveiling of Plaque
Mr Richard Durham, Convener of Fire Board 

Reply to Convener
Watch Manager Alasdair MacLean, Dunvegan Station 

Station Blessing
Reverend Daniel Sladek, Dunvegan 

Gaelic Song
Darren MacLean, Dunvegan 

Presentation of Long Service and Good Conduct Medals
and Retirement Presentation Axe 

Watch Manager R MacNeill, Waternish
Crew Manager Duncan MacDonald, Dunvegan
Firefighter Roderick Campbell, Dunvegan
Mr Colin Munro, Struan 

By the Chief Fire Officer 

Unit Personnel will show Guests around Station 

Piper will Play as Guests leave to Community Centre

Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service 

Helping Make

Highlands & Islands

Safer

A brand new fire station to cover Dunvegan area 

In 1966 Dunvegan Fire Station was, quite literally, a garden shed next to the Tables Hotel. In August 2007 new premises were opened at Lonmore, giving the 10 staff a station office equipped with the latest computer facilities, administration and communications kit.
The new station also has a full size appliance bay, lecture/locker/mess area, male and female toilets, with shower and disabled facilities, disabled access, compressor room for recharging breathing apparatus cylinders, and a drying room. It’s all a far cry from those humble beginnings.
Regarding the history of the service in the area, Watch Manager Alasdair MacLean added: “In 1966 there had been a small fire in the laundry of the Dunvegan Hotel, which fortunately was brought under control by the hotel staff. The then owner of the Hotel, Keir Robertson, realised how serious this could have been, especially in such a busy hotel. He started a campaign to have a fire brigade in Dunvegan. And in November of 1966 Dunvegan Unit of the Fire Brigade was formed.
“The equipment they had was one Alcan Pump and a few lengths of hose, and they trained once a month. They would also have had six of every fire-fighter’s favourite piece of equipment — the beater. Each time they got a call-out, which was at that time a telephone call, they would load their pump plus hoses or beaters, if it was a heath fire, into someone’s van and away they would go to wherever the fire was. They would be backed up by Portree who were the nearest retained unit.”
In April 1995 Dunvegan moved from being an auxiliary unit to being a retained one, and next year they are also due to get a full size water tender.
This, says service Group Manager Ross Notman, will be a fully equipped vehicle which requires drivers to be of LGV standard. It includes high pressure hose reels, a main pump capable of pumping around 2,250 litres of water per minute, equipment for carrying out hazardous material decontamination and extrication gear for dealing with road traffic collisions, as well as a variety of ladders to deal with any situation.
“This marks a huge improvement in equipment carried on the present vehicle,” he added.
There are, at present, 10 staff giving a vital service to the community — a watch manager, two crew managers and seven firefighters. In addition to their duties as firefighters the crew, like all other crews in the Highlands and Islands, are actively involved in Community Fire Safety.
As part of their commitment to safety at home, the Fire and Rescue Service are offering a free home fire safety check. This service is carried out by community firefighters from your area.
The total time to complete a home fire safety check will vary with each situation but normally would last around 30 to 45 minutes. To request your free check call 01478 612793 or your nearest fire station to arrange an appointment.
Mr Notman also gave a big thank you to all those who participated in the building of the new Dunvegan station, from the architects to Highland Council staff, the main contractor and the service providers.
<PHOTO> Ruaraidh MacNeill, Roderick Campbell and Duncan MacDonald all received medals for 20 years service and good conduct on the day the fire station was opened. Missing from the photograph is Colin Munro who received a medal and a commemorative axe for 25 years service and good conduct.
<PHOTO> of the station.
<PHOTO> of 9 firefighters at the opening plaque in the bay.
(West Highland Free Press, Friday 16 November, 2007. Page 18.)

MacKenzie Builders take pride in this recent project 

Staff can see the new Dunvegan fire station from the offices of MacKenzie Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Ltd.
Such a visible sign of this vital public service encourages a strong sense of community confidence. Should a fire break out, it is good to know that help is at hand.
The fire station, which was built by local tradesmen in the immediate area, is staffed by local firefighters. This theme of community involvement extends to training for the future. Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Services had the confidence to employ a local builder, so that local builder gains the confidence to train apprentices for future similar contracts and other community projects.
MacKenzies can offer all the services needed for your new house, office, place of work, school, retail facility or recreational building from detailed plans right up to handing over the keys. The company, employing local professionals and tradesmen, continues to develop and has become a standard bearer for quality and peace of mind whatever your building requirements.
Macleod Roofing has a long history of undertaking roofing contracts in outlying areas.
Skye is one such area and the company can rightly look back on a long list of completed projects with a great deal of satisfaction. Macleod Roofing looks forward to the future and to continuing with their policy of working wherever and whenever.
Enthusiasm is paramount and the firm has a promise it plans never to break — no job is ever too tall, too small, or too far away.
<PHOTO> the new appliance SY06BHK.
(West Highland Free Press, Friday 16 November, 2007. Page 19.)

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