Establishment 1979

Establishment 2000

Jedburgh had a call sign of 45 in Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to J29, the new National Call Sign on 3/5/2017.

JEDBURGH

Jedburgh, known as the "Gateway to Scotland", although a historic town going back to the 12th Century, has always had a progressive outlook. Before the war, the main sources of employment were the woollen industry, leather processing and the timber industry. Since the war, in two industrial sites within the town, other light industry has been encouraged to move into the area and to create more employment. These new industries include plastics, tool making and light engineering, "Starretts the Tool Makers" being the largest employing more than 500 people.
With a resident population of nearly 4,000, and an estimated five year growth of 9%, a programmed outlook has to be maintained to ensure future employment. At the present time, two existing firms are planning extensions to their premises, the Regional Development Programme includes further multi-purpose factory units and an 80-100 guest hotel and conference centre.
This new Fire Station is to replace the converted Lemonade Works which has served as a Fire Station since 1938. The present strength of the Station is one Sub Officer, one Leading Fireman and eight Firemen, all of whom are part time retained. The appliance is a Bedford Water Tender Ladder which carries 1,800 litres of water, has an inbuilt pump with a pumping capacity of 2,250 litres per minute and a 13.5 metre extension ladder. This appliance and crew serve Jedburgh and the surrounding district as shown on their Station area map. In the past five years they have attended 229 calls.

HISTORY OF JEDBURGH FIRE BRIGADE

The first attempt to form a Fire Brigade appears to have been in September 1874 when the Marquis of Lothian gave Jedburgh £25 towards procuring a fire engine. This was possibly the result of a number of serious fires in and around Jedburgh earlier in that year. One at Hundalee Mill near Jedburgh, totally destroying corn and thrashing mills and although the town fire bell was rung, and hundreds were quickly at the scene, they could only be "witnesses of the fearful conflagration". Another fire at Bongate Woollen Mills was fought but without the advantages of a fire engine and a loss of £2,000-£3,000 was reported "despite good work with pitcher and pail from the mill lade". However, the donation of £25 did not appear to have been used as there was no engine when fire broke out at Horestones in November 1875.
Possibly, the first engines in Jedburgh were bought from Hawick in 1897, certainly Jedburgh had two engines at that time and in 1898, sold the smaller one to a client of Mr Charters, Plumber, for £10. The remaining engine must have been a manual pump as, according to reports at that time, a big fire broke out involving the Grocery, Drapery and Boot Shops of the Co-operative Store Company, the exchange building, the museum, the offices of Dougal and Riddoch, Solicitors, and a portion of Hislop and Cliver, Drapers. The loss was estimated at £10,000 and would have been greater but for the arrival of Hawick’s steam engine.
This event must have prompted Lord Stratheden and Campbell to offer £10 towards the cost of a steam engine two weeks after the fire, but apparently nothing came of it probably because it required 19 other donations of £10 to buy a steam engine. Other equipment must have been bought in the early part of this century but it is not clear where it was housed.
A few proposals for "New Premises" were made in the 1920’s and in 1924 the Council decided "that premises at Bow Well could be repaired and put into a state sufficient to house all the appliances, including the fire escape". While there is no record of what these appliances were, they probably consisted of a manual pump, hose cart and ladder, but little had occurred until the Fire Brigades Act came into force in 1938. At this time the Town Council purchased a two ton Morris Commercial Lorry, a 40ft Stingshy Ladder and a Dennis 350-500 G.P.M. Trailer Pump and the Station was moved to the premises now being vacated (the old Lemonade Works in Queen Street).
On the formation of the National Fire Service in 1941, control of the Brigade passed to the Fire Force Commander, Mr W. B. Muir, who was responsible for Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland. After the war, the Fire Services Act 1947 was introduced by Parliament to transfer the fire fighting functions from the National Fire Service to Fire Brigades maintained by the Local Authorities. Under this Act, Scotland was divided into eleven fire areas and Jedburgh became part of the South Eastern Fire Brigade in accordance with the fourth Schedule of the Act. The whole of this area came under the command of Firemaster A. B. Craig until he retired in 1962, control then being passed to Firemaster F. Rushbrook who subsequently retired in 1970. Since then and up to the present time, the Brigade has been under the command of Firemaster James Anderson. After Regionalisation in 1975, the Brigade changed its name to the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade responsible for approximately the same fire area and is under the administration of the present Fire Board.

JEDBURGH FIRE STATION

Jedburgh Fire station is centrally situated at the foot of the High Street, with a frontage on the junction of Bridge Street and The Pleasance. It is bounded on the rear by the Jed Water.
The site was formerly occupied by the Barrass Tannery which was demolished after being extensively damaged by fire in 1976.
The Fire Station was designed to accommodate one fire appliance manned by up to twelve personnel employed on a part time retained basis.
Care was taken in the design of the Station to ensure that as well as being functional, the Station should blend in with the existing character and scale of the town.
This was achieved by using traditional construction and materials, i.e., slate, brick and roughcast and by using a pitched roof, over the lecture room, skews and curved walls at the stair and entrance door.
The restrictive dimensions of the site necessitated the Station to be built on two storeys, this restriction however helped the scale of the Station in relation to the adjoining buildings.
Again traditional materials, cobbles, setts and paving slabs were used for the hard landscaping with a variety of shrubs to obtain a colourful ground cover that required minimal maintenance.
The drill tower and yard are situated to the rear of the Station from which access can be obtained to the Jed Water for pump testing facilities.
The Station includes the following accommodation:-
Ground Floor: Appliance Bay with Workshop and Store
                                Muster Bay
                                Dirty Area and Drying Room
                                Washroom
                                Watchroom
                                Switchroom

First Floor:              Lecture/Recreation Room
                                Kitchen
The Station is heated by electric tubular heaters and radiators and the water by instantaneous gas heater.

JEDBURGH’S FIREMEN 1979

Sub Officer Stewart McPhail
Leading Fireman Derek Davidson
Fireman John Anderson
Fireman Robert Beaton
Fireman Thomas Davidson
Fireman Charles Farquharson
Fireman Douglas Lightbody
Fireman Robert Mallen
Fireman Christopher Minto
Fireman Robert Thomson

(From the Official Opening brochure of Jedburgh Fire Station.19/4/1979.)

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