1997/98         Paging equipment installed.
1999/2000     Site acquired for new station.
2001               New station being built.

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

The new station was operational in September 2002 and Officially Opened on 29/3/2003.

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

Dunbeath had a call sign of C48 in The Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to S23, the new National Call Sign, when the Control at Inverness closed on 6/12/2016 and moved to Dundee.

New station gives Dunbeath firefighters a purpose built base

Firefighters in Dunbeath are in good heart after moving into their first purpose built base.
A late hitch delayed its scheduled opening from last autumn but the 14 man auxiliary unit is now firmly ensconced in the £200,000 station.
The official wraps were taken off on Saturday when the new station was opened by the Highland and Islands Fire Board convener, Drew McFarlane Slack.
The building, together with the fire tender and upgraded kit, followed on from a concerted campaign in the area after a farther and son died in a house blaze at Borgue in February 1998.
The unit was quickly at the scene but was unable to save 38 year old George Gunn and his eight year old son Ben.
The new set up is a far cry from the humble origins of the volunteer squad in Dunbeath in the 1960s. The members then operated from two sheds in the car park of the village’s Inver Arms and responded to “shouts” by bundling equipment into the back of one of their cars.
They operated for many years from makeshift premises in the roads depot on the outskirts of the village. That fell through before Christmas 2001 when a breakdown in negotiations with the local estate owner led to a sudden flit to the disused police station in Dunbeath.
Sub Officer John Gunn says the provision of a purpose built base has made a tremendous difference.
The unit attends about 30 call outs a year, including road traffic accidents and heath fires as well as house fires.
As the Dunbeath unit looks forward to the future with fresh confidence, their counterparts at Lybster are battling to stave off closure. Lybster is among those facing the chop after it was not on a list of stations deemed to be strategic.
(2/4/2003)

HIGHLAND AND ISLANDS FIRE BRIGADE

 official opening of

 DUNBEATH FIRE STATION

 29^th MARCH 2003

2003 CREW

SUB/O JOHN A GUNN
L/FF ALAN GRANT
L/FF BENJAMIN D SUTHERLAND
F/F ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM
F/F BRYAN MACLEOD
F/F IAN J COWIE
F/F BRIAN G COWIE
F/F NEIL BUCHANAN
F/F WILLIAM R MILNE
F/F VICTOR CORMACK
F/F ANDREW P MACLEOD
F/F GARRY MACLEOD
F/F JAMES TAYLOR

ORDER OF CEREMONY

*Master of Ceremonies T/Assistant Divisional Officer M White
* 1400     Introduction by Firemaster B Murray QSFM BA(HONS) MA MIFireE
*1410      Speech by local fireboard member -Councillor D Flear
*1420      Speech and official opening by the Convenor of the Fire Board Councillor Drew MacFarlane Slack MBE
*1430      Dedication and prayers —Mr J Craw
*1440      Station response —Sub Officer J A Gunn
*1450      Photographs
*1500      Tour of station and facilities followed by refreshments

Highland and Islands Fire Brigade

Helping make Highland and Islands Safer

Highland & Islands Fire Brigade

Headquarters

16 Harbour Road

Longman West

INVERNESS

IV1 1TB

Firemaster Brian A Murray QFSM BA(HONS) MA MIFireE

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