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

Wick had a call sign of C2 in The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to S22, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Inverness closed on 6/12/2016 and moved to Dundee.

Wick's new fire engine, purchased on behalf of the Town Council at Guildford, Surrey, by Firemaster Weir of Dundee, arrived in town on Friday and various demonstrations have since been given. Everyone who has seen the machine is pleased with its appearance and capabilities.
Captain Weir came North with the machine and supervised the demonstrations as well as instructing local firemen as to the method in which it must be operated. On Saturday forenoon three demonstrations were given in the town. The first was at Albert Street where, owing to the height, the pressure on the water mains is at its weakest. The machine worked perfectly on this, its first try out. Firemaster John Bain was in charge of the local men.
From Albert Street - where a large number of the general public had gathered - the engine was taken to the mill dam and again tested. At the close of the demonstration, Provost Harper, who was accompanied by the other magistrates and several members of the Town Council, thanked Captain Weir for the assistance he had given in purchasing the machine and also for coming North with it.

Thanks to Captain Weir

Provost Harper said if it had not been for Captain Weir they would not have had an engine. He said he wished Captain Weir, when he returned to Dundee, to convey their thanks to Dundee Corporation for allowing him to come North.
Captain Weir, in reply, said that if Wick was pleased he was pleased, and if he could assist them further in any way it would give him great pleasure. The Council had waited a long time for a fire engine, but they had now got a good one. It would do them for many years. In Dundee they had just dispensed with one after 20 years service. Wick's engine should be of service for 20 to 25 years. They had got it at a low figure despite the fact that several other people were after it.
Captain Weir then took the machine to the Riverside and there gave another demonstration. The fire engine is a Dennis 35 h.p. motor, with a speed of 55 miles per hour, and covers 12 miles per gallon. It has capacity for 2000 feet of hose and carries eight firemen. Testing it in Dundee, Captain Weir found that it would pump water from a depth of 26 feet and would throw it to a height of 100 feet - high enough for any building in Wick.
The machine was taken to various places throughout the county on Monday. Captain Weir and the firemen were accompanied by Treasurer M'Ghan, Baillie Sinclair, Councillors Bain and Anderson. Their first stop was at Stirkoke where, after being welcomed by Colonel E.W.Horne, Convener of the County, a demonstration was given with the first aid appliances. They then went to Watten and gave a full demonstration, pumping water from the river. Their third stop was at Halkirk, where the machine was again set in operation.
The party then proceeded to Thurso, where several demonstrations were given including one at the harbour where water was lifted from a depth of 24 feet from the river. From Thurso they proceeded to Castletown - Captain Weir's home village - where they were welcomed by Mr D.C. Murray and where the whole population of the village turned out to give a royal reception to Captain Weir and the members of Wick Fire Brigade. Pumping from a hydrant near the North of Scotland Bank, the machine gave a great display. They also worked from a pond at "The Mossie". From Castletown they proceeded to the meal mill at John O'Groats, where Mr Houston, the miller, spoke in glowing terms of the performance of the pumps.
On Tuesday the machine was taken to Langwell, the residence of the Duke of Portland, but, unfortunately, a demonstration could not be given there as the hydrant was not suitable for the fittings of the engine. A great display, however was given at Berriedale. After that a demonstration was given at Lybster. At all these places there were large audiences and everyone was of the opinion that the machine was very suitable for town and country work.
(John O'Groat Journal, 14/9/1934)

WICKS NEW FIRE ENGINE

<PHOTO>
The above photograph (by Mr Johnston) of Wick Town Council’s new motor fire engine was taken at the Riverside while a demonstration was being given. Captain Weir, of the Dundee Fire Brigade, is on the left. Firemaster John Bain is in front of the machine and behind it is the assistant firemaster, David Bruce.
(John O’Groat Journal, September 30, 1934)

Wick Fire Engine

Dear Sir, I consider that in fairness to the ratepayers of Wick I should write a few remarks about the demonstrations given with the above named fire engine.
Several demonstrations were given in Wick, Thurso, and in the county. At all the places the tests were successful in my opinion, except the first display at the Esplanade, Thurso, where the engine drew water from a fire hydrant on a small diameter main on the end of the main.
Anyone who knows about a fire engine is aware that there is a limit to same, but people sometimes think a fire engine brings water with it. The Wick Fire Engine carries a limited supply of about 40 gallons of water in a tank for first aid at a fire.
At the highest part of Wick where the water pressure was only 8 lbs. per square inch on the water main the engine boosted the pressure up to 80 lbs. per square inch, and a steady stream of water was discharged through a ¾ inch nozzle, but owing to the strong wind blowing at the time of the tests the jets were broken before reaching the height it would have done, and I may say the same occurred at all the places where the engine worked.
At Castletown and Lybster, where the engine drew water from the village low pressure supply, good jets were obtained, and all present seemed to be well pleased with the performance of the engine. The people were also shown the villages' water pressure without the engine, which would be of very little use for extinguishing purposes without an engine.
At other parts of the county where the engine drew water from running streams there was an abundant supply of water even although the summer has been without much rain, and many more engines than the Wick one could have worked from the same supplies at the same time without making a difference on the running water streams. – I am, etc., J. S. Weir,

Firemaster, Dundee.
Central Fire Station,
West Bell Street
DUNDEE,
September 24, 1934.
(Letters to Editor, John O’Groat Journal, September 30, 1934)

NEW FIRE STATION FOR WICK

Work is to start on the new £20,000 fire station at Wick this autumn.
The decision to go ahead was taken at a meeting of the Northern area joint fire committee in February and now their plans have been approved by Caithness County Council planning committee and by the Scottish Home Department.
The new station is to be on the site of the present station in Martha Terrace, Wick, and will have bays for two fire engines. It will be staffed by 14 part time firemen.
The present station was used during the war by the A.F.S.
Final plans for the new station are now being drawn up by the architects, Sinclair Macdonald and Son, Thurso, and work should start in the late summer.
(Caithness Courier, 15/5/1968)

NEW FIRE STATION OFFICIALLY YESTERDAY

<PHOTO> Of the new station
Wick’s new fire station in Martha Terrace, built At a cost of £18,000, was officially opened yesterday (Thursday) afternoon by Provost Wm. G. Mowat who was presented with a silverised fire axe by Mr George S. Cumming, chairman of the Northern Fire Area Joint Committee, who presided. (Full report next week).
The new station, on the site of the old timber framed fire station building is a concrete block structure supported on a reinforced concrete raft foundation. Roofs are of low pitch asbestos cement sheeting on steel supporting members.
Suspended plastic faced plasterboard ceilings have fibreglass insulation. For speed and ease of operation the appliance bays have been fitted with slide over sectional doors operated manually. Floor finishes generally are of quarry tile in the main traffic areas, while the station office, kitchen and lecture room have thermoplastic tile floors. Water to the showers is heated electrically. Externally the walls are finished with a cockle harl from Barra in the Western Isles.
The fire drill/tower is a prefabricated steel structure set on a deep reinforced concrete base.
Building works commenced on the site in mid October of last year and the contractors are to be congratulated on the speed and efficiency with which all the various trades have been carried out.
(John O’Groat Journal, 27/6/1969)

TODAY AND YESTERDAY IN THE WICK FIRE SERVICE

After the business meeting at Wick the members and officials of the Northern Fire Area Joint Committee joined with burgh authority representatives for the formal opening ceremony at the town’s new £18,000 fire station, situated at Martha Terrace, on the site the old wooden frame building that served for many years till last October. The ceremony was performed by Provost William G. Mowat, Wick, who gave some interesting facts concerning the fire fighting service in the County town.
Presiding, Mr George S. Cumming, Stromeferry, Ross-shire, chairman of the Committee, mentioned that they had with them representatives of the Scottish Home Department and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Fire Services in Scotland.
Provost Mowat said that in 1934, when Wick Town Council decided to acquire their first motorised fire engine, the vehicle chosen was a second hand Dennis costing £400. They bought also 600 feet of 2 ½ inch hose which cost £54, and six waterproof coats for £12. In the same year, the Provost went on, the Council accepted a tender by Messrs R. S. Watters for the erection of a fire engine shed, on the opposite side of the River Wick from Martha Terrace, at a cost of £12.
"Today", said the Provost "we have the completion of a fire station which has cost over £18,000, which enhances the neighbourhood in which it stands, has the most up to date equipment and houses two modern engines, one three year old, and one twelve year old."

Tribute to Firemen

Provost Mowat continued : "I wish to pay tribute to the local men who have given such long and praiseworthly service in manning the station over the years. After the glamour disappears, we realise that it is a tough job, requiring much training. As a team they work effectively, every man playing his part in the whole operation. The public in the county may rest easy in the knowledge that we have such a dedicated team ready to spring into action whenever their services are required."
The Provost added that the previous day, when he happened to be at the fire station, the alarm siren sounded and within a minute and a half the first engine was on its way. "I don't know where the firemen came from," said the Provost, "but that is what happened. The same happened again this afternoon. We are indebted to the Joint Committee and the firemen for the provision of such excellent service."
Provost Mowat went on to reveal what he believed the public would not know, that under a new method of signalling known as the DX system, 999 calls were now put through to the headquarters of the Northern Fire Brigade at Inverness, and a button pressed at Inverness sounded the Wick siren. This was previously done by the police at Wick.
The Provost said he had great pleasure in declaring the new Wick fire station open.

Souvenir Gift

Before proceeding to the ceremonial opening of a personnel door - the fire engine doors had been hoisted open previously - Provost Mowat was presented by Mr Cumming with a fireman's axe specially made as a souvenir and inscribed by firemen at the Inverness headquarters station.
The Northern Fire Brigade units cover the territory from the Shetland Islands in the north to Inverness-shire and part of Nairnshire in the south and their area, of course takes in the Western Isles of Ross-shire and Inverness-shire.
The governing body, the Northern Fire Area Joint Committee is representative of the territory's County Councils and Town Councils, and the Committee meetings are held in turn in the towns throughout the area.
The firemaster of the Wick unit is a member of the Town Council, Treasurer James Dunne.
The main contractors were Geddes Bros., East Moy. Sub Contractors - carpenter and joiner work, Miller and Macdonald, Watten; plumbing and electrical work, William Jack, Hoarfskerry; tilling, roughcast and plastering, Steven and Mulraine, Wick; painterwork, G. Baikie, Wick; roofing, Conder (Hardware) Ltd., Winchester; appliance bay doors, P.C. Henderson Ltd., Romford, Essex; drill tower, Crofton Engineering Ltd., Cambridge.
The architects were Sinclair Macdonald and Son, F./A.R.I.B.A.,Thurso, Partner in charge J.G.Barnie. The quantity surveyor was William W. Rae, F.R.I.C.S., Glasgow.
<PHOTO> Mr George S. Cumming, chairman of the Northern Fire Area Joint Committee, introducing Provost Mowat.
(John O'Groat Journal, July 4, 1969)

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