Establishment 2000

The present station in Station Road was occupied in August 1981 and Officially Opened on 18/3/1982.

3/12/2012    Fire Station and two appliances severely damaged by fire. From 6pm fire cover provided by a wholetime crew from Edinburgh based at The Scottish Fire Service College at Gullane

7/12/2012    Fire Cover from 8am now provided by North Berwick Retained based in Council yard at The Heugh with one pump.

Between 14th and 18 December 2013 North Berwick Retained moved back into the station running one pump, W645RSC.

North Berwick had a call sign of 68 in Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, this was changed to J22, the new National Call Sign on 3/5/2017.

HISTORY OF NORTH BERWICK FIRE BRIGADE

In 1812, the Firemaster was a Mr Black and records show that his firefighting equipment was limited to a barrow and buckets. If a fire occurred, a team of ‘Firefighters’ were drawn from any volunteers who were available at the time of the incident.
It was not until 1873 that Town Council Records show that consideration was first given to providing a ‘firefighting pump’. Further consideration was given after the Vale fire of 1876 and then again debated in 1882 after a serious fire which gutted the East Wing of the Marine Hotel. This last fire was only extinguished after a steamer from the Edinburgh Brigade was dispatched by train to North Berwick from the Waverley Railway Station. It was met at the North Berwick Railway Station, (the same station is opposite the new Fire Station), by a team of horses and rushed to the vicinity of the hotel where it was used to pump water from the sea.
By 1895, an organised ‘professional’ brigade with a pumping appliance was in being. The Constitution of the Brigade was as follows:—

1.             The Brigade shall consist of (1) a Firemaster, who shall have full charge of the Brigade, and in his absence, the Conductor, (2) a Conductor, (3) a 1st Engineer, (4) a 2nd Engineer and (5) six Firemen.
2.             Each member shall obey all orders which he may receive from those in authority over him and at a fire, the Chief Officer present shall have absolute authority for all purposes.
3.             Each member of the Brigade shall be provided with a Helmet, Tunic and Waistbelt — three members each having an Axe and Case — all of which must be kept in good condition by the members and returned to the Chief Officer by any member retiring from the Brigade. The first and second Engineers shall keep clean the engine and the other members of the Brigade, the rest of’ the apparatus.
4.             No member can be recognised as such at any drill or fire unless in his uniform and no member shall appear in his uniform except he is on duty.
5.             The Brigade shall meet for drill, etc., not less than six times yearly, the time and place to be as directed by the Firemaster.
6.             The Brigade shall attend all fires in the Burgh or district when called on, if the officer in command shall deem it expedient, and when attending a fire the Brigade shall assist any other Fire Brigade that may be in attendance at such fire.
7.             The Firemaster or officer in command shall furnish his men with ref refreshments when on active duty for any length of time but on no account shall liquor be accepted when offered to the Brigade by any person neither is any member of the Brigade to enter a refreshment room of any kind unless he gets permission from the Officer-in-Charge.
8.             No member shall leave the Brigade without giving fourteen days clear notice to the Firemaster and shall deliver up to him all articles of uniform belonging to the Brigade; any member changing his residence shall notify the same to the Firemaster, and any member leaving the town for more than 24 hours must inform the Firemaster of the fact.
9.             Each member of the Brigade shall on joining subscribe these rules.

The Retaining Fee was £5 per annum for the Firemaster and First Engineer, Second Engineer £2.10/-, Conductor £1.10/- and Firemen £1 that was to cover all practices. Country fire charges ranged from 12/6d for the first five hours and 2/- per hour after for the Firemaster to 7/6d and 1/- for Firemen. Burgh fires 4/6d for first hour, 2/- after to 3/6d and 1/-.
In 1928 the Town Council Lorry was used to tow the steamer instead of horses. This was satisfactory apart from unsuccessful attempts to tow in areas such as the Heugh Brae. It was therefore decided in the following year to obtain the first motorised fire engine. Shortly after its purchase, it was called to a large farm fire where it pumped solidly for 14 hours without a hitch.
In the same year the Fire Station was moved to Station Hill. It was here under the same roof that the motorised engine was housed together with the steamer and the Fire Escape Extension Ladder. The bell which belonged to the Engineer of that time is now displayed at the New Station.
With the creation of the National Fire Service during the Second World War, North Berwick became part of the South East Area.
After the war the Fire Services Act 1947 was introduced by Parliament to transfer the firefighting functions from the National Fire Service to Fire Brigades maintained by Local Authorities.
Under this Act, Scotland was divided into eleven fire areas and North Berwick 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; it then passed to Firemaster F Rushbrook who subsequently retired in 1970 and then on to Firemaster J Anderson who retired early in 1980.
Since then the Brigade has been under the command of Firemaster W M G Kerr.
After regionalisation in 1975, the Brigade changed its name to the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade, responsible for approximately the same area and is under the administration of the present Fire Board.
Past Officers-in-Charge of North Berwick between 1812 and 1947 were Mr Black, Mr Merrilees, Mr Miller, Mr Robertson, Mr Crystal and Mr Tom Lorimer. From 1947 it was T Russell, E Treharne, and the present Officer-in-charge is Station Officer John Lorimer. John’s son Scott joined the Brigade in 1981.
(Source of document unknown)

NEW FIRE STATION FOR NORTH BERWICK 

On 18th March, 1982, the new Fire Station was opened by Councillor John A. Crichton, Convenor of Lothian Regional Council. Councillor Crichton retires from public office this year and this was his last official function in connection with the Brigade. To mark the occasion Fmr. Kerr presented Councillor Crichton with the Brigade crested pen set.
The new Fire Station is sited on Station Road and occupies the south corner of the frontage of the old station yard which has lain derelict for many years.
The building was designed to occupy as much as possible of the frontage so as to recreate the enclosure of a street. It was kept domestic in scale and finished in traditional materials intended to echo features of surrounding buildings.
North Berwick has a long history of firefighting and records show that in 1812, the Firemaster was a Mr Black and that his firefighting equipment was limited to a barrow and buckets. If a fire occurred, a team of ‘Firefighters’ were drawn from any volunteers who are available at the time of the incident.
It was not until 1873 that Town Council Records show that consideration was first given to providing a ‘firefighting pump’. Further consideration was given after the Vale fire of 1876 and then again debated in 1882 after a serious fire which gutted the East Wing of the Marine Hotel. This last fire was only extinguished after a steamer from the Edinburgh Brigade was dispatched by train to North Berwick from the Waverley Railway Station. It was met at North Berwick Railway Station, (the same station is opposite the new Fire Station), by a team of horses and rushed to the vicinity of the hotel where it was used to pump water from the sea.
(Vulcan Magazine Spring Summer 1982, page 3).

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