Establishment 2000

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

Lerwick had a call sign of C8 in The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to W25, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Inverness closed on 6/12/2016 and moved to Dundee.

August 2018 Lerwick Fire Station is being refurbished to become a shared space with the ambulance service.

New fire station “absolutely great”

By Hans J. Marter

The first of a new generation of fire stations for retained fire fighters in the Highlands and Islands has been opened in Lerwick, in Shetland, on Saturday.
The £1.5 million station, at Sea Road, was officially opened by the convenor of the Highlands and Islands Fire Board, councillor Drew McFarlane Slack MBE.
The purpose-built station has been described by station officer Jim Moar as “absolutely great”. It replaces the old fire station at Grantfield, which was converted from a Territorial Army garage in the 1960s.
Mr Moar said: “This is the flagship of what is to come in the future. We have been waiting for this for a long time. It has been on the go for about 10 or 15 years now. It is finally here and it has been well worth waiting for.”
The spacious building has ample car parking for Lerwick’s 20 retained fire fighters, has good access for the station’s three fire engines and provides for extensive drill ground facilities.
It also incorporates the Shetland district office and provides accommodation for offshore fire fighting equipment.
Shetland’s assistant district officer Duncan MacDougall said: “We have never been in a better position to provide a dedicated fire brigade which will respond to any emergency promptly and effectively and help make the Shetland district safer.”
(Shetland News, Monday, 14 April, 2003.)

Messenger boy remembers

During the Second World War Lerwick man Douglas Smith was employed as a messenger with the NFS. Here he recalls some memories of what the fire service in Lerwick used to be like.
“I remember the fire station at the headquarters of the ‘scaffies’ in a shed, commonly known as the Art Gallery, where the entrance to the museum now stands. The park there was the communal drying green for the folk in the lanes who had no gardens. “My first memory of a fire was when, from King Harald Street, I saw smoke billowing from the property known as ‘Post Office House’ at 47 St Olaf Street. Mr Anderson, who was the waterman, arrived with a barrow on which there was an old hose with wire wrapped round it. He attached the hose to a hydrant in the street but more water came out of holes in the hose than out of the nozzle!
“During the war the NFS has a base in the former Anglo Scottish Curing station at the foot of Browns Road. Weekly practices were held. I don’t think that there was an actual fire engine but I do remember being driven in a truck with a trailer attached that contained hose-reels and standpipes.
“Jeffrey Arthur and I were employed as messengers. We were issued with black battle tunics and trousers, a peaked cap and tin hat. We used our own bicycles and received a retainer of 2/6 per week.
“The full-time fire master was Mr Gray and among the fire crew were Charlie Alger, ‘Black Ertie’ Pearson, Dodie ‘Currants’ and ‘Boon’ Bain, well known local characters who are long gone but not forgotten.
“One incident comes to mind when there was a simulated fire at the army quarters at Kveldsro. We set off with truck and trailer at high speed along the Esplanade but the trailer mud wing became rather attached to the barbed wire entanglements that protected the harbour at the time and we were brought up all standing. The defence authorities were not amused; nor were the ‘victims’ at Kveldsro at our non appearance!”
<PHOTO> The heroes line up outside their old fire station. (Station Officer, Sub Officer, 2 Leading firefighters and 13 Firefighters.)
(Post April 2003)

HIGHLAND & ISLANDS FIRE BRIGADE

official opening of the

Lerwick Fire Station

12^th April 2003

It gives me great pleasure as Shetlands District Officer to welcome you to the official opening of the new Lerwick Fire Station. The proposal to build the new station was presented to the Fire Board at their meeting in 19 April 2001 which was coincidentally held at the Lerwick Town hall. The Fire Board unanimously agreed to proceed with the build and £1.5 million was earmarked for the project. This further confirmed the Fire Boards commitment to provide an effective, well equipped and adequately resource fire brigade.
This station is unique, it is the first build of the next generation of retained Fire Stations. Not only is it a fire station, it also incorporates the Shetland district office and provides accommodation for the off shore fire fighting equipment.
These facilities offered here are excellent and they will be a tremendous morale fillip not only to the Lerwick unit, but also to the Shetland fire fighting personnel as well. We have a new station of which we can be extremely proud, the vehicles and equipment are modern, the personnel are fully trained and competent. We have never been in a better position to provide a dedicated fire brigade which will respond to any emergency promptly and effectively and help make the Shetland district safer.

Duncan MacDougall
Assistant District Officer, Lerwick

Since reporting at Lerwick Fire Station at Grantfield on a cold dark Tuesday night in October 1971, I have seen some change over the years. From being the youngest in the station. I am now the oldest, so there has been a complete change in personnel.
The fire appliances were an old Bedford pump escape (the one with the big wheels on the back), a Bedford TK with split windscreen and an old Green Goddess, painted red of course.
We’ve had Renaults, Dodges and Mercedes appliances since then and now we have 2 new Volvo FL6’s and an Isuzu Midi, major changes have also occurred over the years with equipment being updated regularly.
The new Fire Station however surpasses all of the above, it is modern spacious, well laid out and finished to a very high standard, for the first time ever we have a purpose built station with ample car parking, good access and with extensive drill ground facilities.
The Highland & Islands Fire Brigade, the architect, contractors and everyone involved with the project, can be proud of their achievement.
All personnel at Lerwick are excited, proud and honoured to be part of a new era in the history of Lerwick Fire Station.

Jim Moar
Station Officer, Lerwick

Order of Ceremony

Master of Ceremonies Assistant District Officer Duncan MacDougall

Introduction

Firemaster Mr Brian A. Murray, BA (Hons.) MA MIFireE

Welcome

Convenor of our Fire Board Mr Drew McFarlane Slack, MBE

Blessing

Reverend Gordon Oliver

Official Opening

Convenor of the Fire Board Mr Drew McFarlane Slack, MBE

Station Response

Station Officer Mr Jim Moar

Tour of Station and facilities followed by buffet and refreshments.

A page with eleven photos of incidents and drills etc. (photos not on this site)

A page of individual photos of the present twenty crew members. (photos not on this site). Their names are as follows:-
Station Officer J. Moar(1360), Sub Officer K. Thomason(2862), Leading Firefighter C. Nicolson(3316), Leading Firefighter G. Mouat(3754), Firefighter M. Younger(2663), Firefighter G. Nicolson(2956), Firefighter P. Stevenson(3532), Firefighter S. Hunter(3848), Firefighter S. Sutherland(4142), Firefighter G. Stevenson(4401), Firefighter J. Waterhouse(4453), Firefighter L. Chapman(4666), Firefighter D. Scott4668), Firefighter D. Stewart(4709), Firefighter G. McMillan(4715), Firefighter P. Spence(4913), Firefighter D. Hunter(4938), Firefighter J. MacLeod(4951), Firefighter L. Nicolson(5215), Firefighter J. Wiseman(5322).
(The Official Opening Programme)

AMBULANCE services in Shetland are likely to be dispatched from Lerwick Fire Station as of later this year.

The move will see the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Ambulance Service operate from the same premises at Sea Road.
The SRFS is currently tendering for a contractor to reconfigure and refurbish the existing Lerwick Fire Station to allow for both services to use the building.
The capital costs are estimated to be in the region of £250,000. However, a valid planning application to Shetland Islands Council has yet to be submitted.
The ambulance service’s premises at the town’s Burgh Road will be vacated and returned to NHS Shetland, which owns the building.
The plans have stirred some disquiet among local fire crews, who say there has been no consultation with staff.
The Lerwick move is seen as a blueprint for other locations across Scotland and has in fact already happened in the islands of Unst, Yell and Whalsay.
Shetland safety and resilience committee chairman and SIC councillor Alastair Cooper welcomed the move.
“Burgh Road is not a good place to get in and out to respond to an emergency,” he said. 
“The fire service and ambulance service are both cash strapped, and where you can relocate and save cost, we should do so. I think it is a good thing. There are efforts of bringing blue light services together in other places as well.”
Local senior officer for Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland Islands Iain MacLeod said the SRFS would seek opportunities to work with partners wherever possible and appropriate to enhance the safety of local communities.
“I can confirm that there have been ongoing discussions surrounding plans for the ambulance service to share the premises at Lerwick Fire Station including direct staff consultation throughout the process,” he said.
“No fire appliances will be moved out of the station and our dedicated crews will continue to respond to every emergency.
“The application is currently in the planning process stage.”
A spokeswoman for the SAS confirmed that the move to Sea Road is due to take place later this year once the “purpose-built community station, holding both services” is completed.
“Working with other blue light partners is a key priority for us, so we are delighted with the progress made in integrating Lerwick’s fire and ambulance stations.
“These changes will result in closer working between the two services, will mean patients continue to receive high quality emergency care and will ensure our buildings remain cost-effective and fit-for-purpose.”
And on Monday 1 October staff of the Scottish Ambulance Service are due to join their fire fighting colleagues at Sea Road in a transfer from their old and cramped premises at Montfield.
The services will have their own working areas and shared messroom, with a handful of full-time firefighters and up to 11 ambulance staff using the station. One ambulance will be housed inside along with the fire engines and there are bays for the other two outside.
He added: “It is a far better location for the ambulance service and it is a far better facility for them for 24 hour cover. Burra Road is not the best location to get in and out of I think this gives them far more open access. It has been a long time coming but we are here now.”
(Shetland News on line 21/2/2018)

Revamped fire and ambulance station gets official launch 

<Photo> Celebrating joint-up working in Shetland's emergency services were Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Assistant Chief Officer David Farries Head of Service Delivery North SDA (second from left), community safety minister Ash Denham (centre) and NHS Scotland chief executive Pauline Howie (second from right). They were joined by ambulance paramedic Daniel Mainland (left) and fire fighter Andy Hunter (right).
The refurbished Lerwick Fire Station which now also houses the local ambulance service has received its official launch.
Fire fighters and ambulance staff have shared the premises since last year and chiefs have previously praised the new collaboration.
The refurbishment work was undertaken between June and September 2018, with the bill – shared between the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Government – coming in at £350,000.
The revised layout of the building, a stone’s throw from the Tesco supermarket, was planned in consultation with both the fire and ambulance teams.
Community safety minister Ash Denham is in Shetland to launch the refurbished station and she said the facility “establishes a modern, integrated, efficient and effective way of working that benefits the people at the heart of our island communities”.
“It’s a great example of joined up working between our emergency services, and I look forward to more of this type of initiative to enable our public services to deliver better outcomes for the people of Scotland,” she added.
Nearly 25 retained personnel from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are based at the site respond to over 200 calls per year.
The ambulance service was previously based at Montfield but the headquarters were deemed to be cramped for staff.
Then-MSP Tavish Scott said in 2015 that staff conditions were “lamentable”, with the fire station mooted then as a possible home.
Around 2,200 calls per year are handled by 18 ambulance staff and four part-time patient transport service personnel who work from Sea Road.
<Photo> The former Lerwick fire station has now become the Lerwick Community Fire & Ambulance Station.
Scottish Fire and Rescue service chief officer Martin Blunden said: “This tremendous facility, which serves mainland Shetland and its outer islands, allows both emergency services to plan, prepare and respond in an effective and cohesive way, for both local needs and to operational incidents, to ensure local communities are well protected.
“The benefits are already tangible as we know that joint training over the last year has improved awareness and understanding of each other’s capabilities and protocols. It’s exciting to be in Shetland and to see this project in action.”
Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Pauline Howie added that the new station is the “result of considerable hard work and the station has been reconfigured and designed to meet all the Ambulance Service needs”.
“It is a significant improvement that supports ongoing operational and clinical skills development and the facilities are of the highest quality and meet all of the stringent NHS hygiene standards,” she said.
“This co-location development is part of an investment strategy to upgrade our stations across the country and to support more joined up working between partners. The new station also supports the needs of our staff and patients by delivering the highest standards of clinical care, as well as providing a multipurpose hub for the local community.”
(Shetland News on line 4/11/2019)

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

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