The Lanarkshire Fire Area Administration Scheme Order, 1948

                                                                        Equipment                                             Wholetime                                                   Volunteer

                                                                        1 Self propelled Pump                          1 Company Officer                                     10 Firemen
                                                                        1 Turntable Ladder                              2 Section Leaders
                                                                        1 Water Tender                                    4 Leading Firemen
                                                                        1 Large Trailer Pump                            24 Firemen and Watchroom Attendants

Establishment 2000

                                                                        Equipment                                                                                                                 Wholetime

                                                                        2 Water Tender Ladders                                                                                         4 Station Officers
                                                                        1 Hydraulic Platform                                                                                                4 Sub Officers
                                                                                                                                                                                                            12 Leading Firemen
                                                                                                                                                                                                            48 Firefighters

The Wholetime establishment are split over four watches (Red, Blue, Green and White) 1 Station Officer, 1 Sub Officers, 3 Leading Firefighters and 12 Firefighters working 2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off. Water Tenders are normally manned 5 and 4. The HP is manned by a crew of 2.

Establishment 2009

The Wholetime establishment are split over four watches (Red, Blue, Green and White) 1 Watch Commander, 2 Crew Commanders and 11 Firefighters working 2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off. Rescue Pumps are normally manned 5 and 4. The TSU is dual manned by the OIC and driver of the second machine.

8/1/2009 although they have been running a spare RPL in place of an ARP for quite some time they are now officially running 2 RPLs.

19/1/2009 The TSU has been transferred to Hamilton from Govan and it will be run Dual crewed with the second appliance. The OIC and driver will go to incidents in the TSU, the pump will not follow as a support pump.

When the new call signs were being implemented in the WEST SDA over a 7 week period beginning 31/8/2020 doing 1 LSO Area per week, Hamilton was changed from P02 to C03.

Hamilton Burgh Fire Brigade disbanded and taken over by Lanarkshire County Fire Brigade 14/5/1931.(Hamilton advertiser 16/5/1931 Page 6)
Lanarkshire Fire Brigade inauguration at Hamilton Place. (Hamilton Advertiser 21/1/1911 Page 4) (Stother's Glasgow & Lanarkshire Annual 1911-12)
First fire engine for Burgh of Hamilton purchased 10/9/1748.

HAMILT0N BURGH FIRE BRIGADE 

Hamilton became a Burgh in 1701, but did not consider purchasing a Manual Fire Engine until August, 1873. According to the Town Council Minutes the engine cost £140, and was delivered, during December, 1873. The Manual Engine was in commission until it was replaced by a Motor Fire Engine in September, 1915. The Manual Engine was drawn by a pair of horses which were on hire whenever a fire occurred.
Little reference is made in the early Minutes to the Brigade and although there was a Part time Firemaster, and Part time Firemen, no names can be found. The first mention of a Firemaster which can be found is Mr. Purdie, who is mentioned in a return by Firemaster Eccleston, the last Firemaster of the Burgh. Mr. Purdie was also the Master of Works of the Burgh. The return was made by Firemaster Eccleston in 1931, which shows that Firemaster Purdie was Firemaster in 1916.
The average number of fires the Fire Brigade turned out to for several years amounted to two per month. It is of interest to note that on the first occasion the Brigade attended a fire in Strathaven, outwith the Burgh boundary, the occupier of the premises was charged £5.
In quotations from the Minutes of the Town Council at a February, 1890, Meeting, reference was made to the re-organising of the Fire Brigade and an inspection of the Fire Engine and hose was to be carried out.
At a Street Committee Meeting on the 2nd July, 1901, the Minutes state that members of the Brigade had to turn out for practice at least fourteen times per year for which they would be paid two shillings per practice. The Committee had already had a surprise turn out of the Brigade which appears to have been successful, as the first branch was in action eight minutes after arrival.
On the 4th April, 1903, the Town Council decided to form a General Purpose Committee, part of its reference was the Fire Brigade. This Committee from hence on met once per month unless for Extraordinary Meetings for Fire Brigade purposes.
At the Meeting it was decided to purchase a Ladder Carriage and six ten foot ladders. This decision necessitated the hire of an additional pair of horses. Negotiations with the various Coach Hires resulted in the following: -
Pair of horses to cost 5/- per first hour and 4/- for successive hours, plus 2/- per hour for driver.
On the 29th January, 1907, it was decided that the Brigade establishment should be one Firemaster/Part-time; twelve Burgh employees and eight Tradesmen. The Firemaster to receive £1:1/- for each fire and the men a Retaining Fee of £2 per year, plus a turn out fee of 5/- per first hour and 1/- per hour thereafter.
(It could have been the result of this Meeting that Firemaster Purdie was appointed).
A further Minute entry at this Meeting was that members of the Brigade should be housed as close as possible to the Fire Engine House.
At the next Meeting the Committee summoned all members of the Brigade to the Council Chambers to ascertain how many men would be willing to change houses. Only five agreed to move to Portland Place and did so during June, 1908. Fire bells were installed in the houses of the five men, but not in the houses of the men who had elected not to move.
On the 5th January, 1909, the Committee received an offer for a Motor Fire Engine at a cost of £750. A letter was also read from the Firemaster that the Glasgow Corporation was willing to sell the Burgh a Steam Fire Engine for £200. The Firemaster also stated that the present Fire Engine was sufficient for the Burgh as the pressure in the water mains was good.
The Committee agreed that neither offers were acceptable and that the Firemaster’s suggestion should be adopted.
Letters between the Town Clerks of Hamilton, Wishaw, Motherwell and the County Council of Lanark resulted in a Conference being held at Motherwell, when representatives from the Burghs and the County were in attendance.
The subject under discussion was to find if the County Council would take over responsibility for fire cover for each of the three Burghs.
No decision was made at this Meeting.
The subject again is referred to at a General Purpose Meeting of the 4th January, 1910. Again the decision was that the Brigade for Hamilton was sufficient.
The year 1911 saw the G.P. Committee turning their attention to Fire Prevention. The Committee granted themselves the power to compel Hotel Keepers to provide proper Fire Alarms and to ensure each Hotel had adequate Means of Escape. All Lodging Houses had to erect an external fire escape from upper floors.
The above decision resulted in the co-operation of the Firemaster/Master of Works, and the Town Surveyor, for a number of years to come.
As the town increased in size and population, the Town Council at a meeting on the 7th January, 1913, moved that negotiations with the County Council and Glasgow Corporation should be opened upon the use of either of those Authorities to provide a Fire Detachment to large fires within the Burgh.
The following month a reply had been received from the County Clerk of Lanarkshire and the Chief Constable of Lanarkshire, Captain Despard, that the County was favourably disposed for the use of the County Fire Brigade within the Burgh, if the terms could be agreed upon.
The Town Clerk was instructed to make a temporary arrangement for calling the County Brigade in an emergency and to give a standing guarantee for the payment of expenses when the County was called by either the Firemaster or the Chief Constable of the Burgh.
The Committee favoured that negotiations should be re-opened, with the Burghs of Wishaw and Motherwell as to forming a Joint Fire Brigade with a possible site for a Fire Station in Motherwell.
At a Conference on the 4th March, 1913, of the representatives from Hamilton, Wishaw, Motherwell and the County Council held again at Motherwell, the subject being to hear the terms by which the County Council required for the use of their Brigade within the three Burghs.
The terms proposed were that it was expected that the three Burghs would levy a rate equal to that of the County to meet their proportion of the expenses in providing a Brigade on first call and any balance, after paying for the local equipment would be handed over to the County Council.
No decision was agreed upon.
At a Meeting in April, 1913 of the General Purpose Committee, it was reported that representatives from Hamilton, Wishaw and Motherwell had attended a Meeting in Glasgow with Mr. Waddell, the Firemaster of Glasgow. The Corporation was to submit the terms for the services of the Glasgow Brigade within any of the three Burghs.
Negotiations continued throughout 1913, with both Glasgow and the County.
Glasgow finally decided on the following terms:-
                                                Home in one hour                                Detained 2 hours
                Hamilton                £11:  3: 9d.                                             £20: 7: 11d.
                Motherwell            £12:  1: 3d.                                             £21: 5:   5d.
                Wishaw                 £12: l8: 9d.                                             £22: 2:    -d. 

The representatives of the three Burghs decided to accept the above terms. Thus Glasgow for the first time was on call for assistance to the Burghs of Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw.
No record can be found in the Hamilton Minutes that the Glasgow Brigade attended any calls to Hamilton. It is known that at least twice they were called to Motherwell.
On the 3rd. December, 1913, there was a Joint Conference of the three Burghs to consider the following alternatives for providing fire-cover.
SCHEME 1:
Each Burgh to provide a local Fire Brigade to deal with small fires – and an arrangement to be made with the Glasgow Fire Brigade, or with the County Fire Brigade, whereby any of the Burghs could call on the services either of the Brigades on payment of a sum equivalent to twice the actual cost of the Brigades attending each fire.
SCHEME 2:
The three Burghs to combine to provide a thoroughly equipped Fire Brigade with a Motor Fire Engine and to provide a Fire Station House at Motherwell.
The cost of the scheme, including the cost of the local Fire Engines to be estimated at £912.
SCHEME 3:
The local Fire Brigade of each Burgh would be maintained and an arrangement come to with the County Council Fire Brigade would be available within the Burghs. The terms suggested being that each of the Burghs should pay the County Council a sum equivalent to the rate, leviable in the County, for the time being for Fire Brigade purposes, yielded if levied within the Burghs subject to the actual cost of maintaining the local Fire Brigade.
Again no decision was arrived at.
At a later Meeting of the G.P. Committee it was decided that the Meeting was favourably disposed that the Town Council should establish a fully equipped Fire Brigade for Hamilton Burgh and to remit to the Council the above proposal, plus the cost of erecting a Fire Station on a suitable site.
At a meeting of the G.P. Committee during February, 1914, it was decided that a visit would be made to Coatbridge where the local Brigade had a Motor Fire Engine and a Fire Station.
The result of this visitation, at a Meeting on the 1st July, 1914, the estimated cost of purchasing a Motor Fire Engine was to hand. 

COST OF ENGINE TO BE £1,100

Annual Charges:
                Repayment of loan over 15 years                                      £  80
                Chauffeur at £2 per week                                                    £104
                Uniform £12 per year                                                           £  12
                Maintenance                         ...                                             £  40
                Insurance                                                                              £  15
                10 Men’s Retaining Fees £3 per year                               £  30
                Other items                                                                            £  70
                                                                                                                £351 

No decision could be agreed upon.
When finally the County Council forwarded their latest terms it was found that part of the terms included the payment of £20 – PLUS twice the actual cost of attending fires.
The Glasgow terms did not include the figure of £20.
The Town Council called a Conference of the three Burghs to consider this offer from the County Council.
The representatives of Hamilton and Motherwell rejected the terms. Wishaw voted in favour of them in respect that they had already a separate meeting with the County Council who had expressed their desire to erect a Fire Station in Wishaw.
During the month of June, 1914, the County Fire Brigade with the Hamilton Fire Engine did attend two fires within the Burgh. At the New Cross, the hose of both Engines had been deliberately cut. The County submitted the cost of the hose which the Town Council honoured.
By the 1st September, the Committee had visited Glasgow and Edinburgh to inspect the Fire Engines of both cities and to obtain the possible cost of a Motor Fire Engine.
Quotations were asked for from several firms making Fire Engines. The most acceptable was from Dennis Brothers of Guildford. The appliance was a Dennis Motor Fire Engine, 60 BNP, and capable of delivering 400 GPM. The cost of the Engine was £965.
The Engine on delivery would be housed at the Police Station.
Advertisements were placed in the papers for a mechanic to act as Superintendent of the Brigade under the Firemaster. The wage of the Post to be £2 per week.
From the applicants for the position, the Committee, on the 2nd March, 1915, chose Mr. John Smith, who had been a member of the East Renfrewshire Fire Brigade since 1911.
Mr. Smith accepted the post and. took up residence in Hamilton on the 6th April, 1915.
The Committee decided at a Meeting on the 26th April, 1915, that the Brigade would be reorganized and that the establishment would now consist of:-
1 Firemaster
1 Superintendent
3 Full time Men - who would be Cartwright Joiners and possibly a Blacksmith.
4 Part time Men who would be Tradesmen.

The Committee received word from Dennis Brothers that the Fire Engine was being delivered by road. Mr. Smith was sent to Carlisle to meet the appliance and to test it on the way up to Hamilton. The engine arrived in Hamilton at the end of September, 1915.
The average number of fires within the Burgh was now up to six per month, so the Engine was soon in action after it had received pump tests on its arrival.
Mr. Purdie resigned from his appointment as Firemaster on the 9th January, 1917, but continued to serve the Burgh as Master of Works. Superintendent Smith was promoted to Firemaster in his place.
On the 3rd April, 1918, the Convenor reported to the Committee that the Manual Fire Engine and Hose had been sold.
The services of the Brigade was not confined to the Burgh but did attend fires outwith the Burgh. This led the Committee to draw up charges for the attendance of fires outwith. At a meeting on the 3rd. December, 1918, the following Minute reads:

SCALE OR CHARGES OUTWITH BURGH 

                                                                1st Hour                                 2nd Hour and following hours
                Firemaster                              40/-                                                         40/-
                2nd. Officer                           20/-                                                         20/-
                Branchmen                              7/6                                                           6/-
                Firemen                                    6/-                                                           6/-
                Attendance of Motor          42/-                                                         42/-
                Working Pump                     42/-                                                         42/-
                Petrol (5 gal. per hr.)                            Current Prices
                Washing Drying Hose (1000 ft.)                        20/-
                Maintenance & Greasing                                    15/-
                Also 5/- per mile return journey beyond the Burgh Boundary.
                Minimum Charge for turn out of Brigade                         £10. 

There was a fire in a Fish Restaurant in Castle Street, when the fat boiled over and was ignited. The Firemaster was instructed to write to the Glasgow Brigade to find what method they adopted to extinguish such types of fire.
It is of interest to note that Glasgow never replied to this letter.
The Firemaster was then instructed to visit all Fish Restaurants in the Burgh to ensure that the storage of fat was in a safe place.
From time to time the Fire Engine had a mechanical breakdown and Firemaster Smith was told to notify Motherwell when this took place and again when the engine was available.
Firemaster Smith received a reduction of wages during 1922, and never forgave the Council. In turn he applied for other Firemasters appointments, and was successful in obtaining an appointment on the 5th September, 1922 as Firemaster of Paisley.
On the 10th October, 1922, the Committee appointed Firemaster Eccleston to take up Mr. Smith’s place. Firemaster Eccleston took up his duties on the 24th October, 1922.
The Committee instructed the Firemaster to ensure that when a person called the Brigade, he must obtain the name of the person and his address. Especially so, if the caller was from outwith the Burgh.
At a Meeting on the 6th February, 1923, the Firemaster asked the Committee to notify householders regarding the length of time it was taking to call out the Brigade to a fire. The Committee agreed, and handbooks were delivered to each house, shop and factory within the Burgh regarding the correct method of calling out the Brigade.
Following a Conference on Firemen’s Wages during 1922, the Town Council found that Firemaster Eccleston’s wages of £4 per week had to be reduced to £3: l5/-. The Firemaster made no protest.
It is of interest to note that the Firemen/Tradesmen/Cartwright Joiners and Blacksmith were fully employed in work for the Burgh and the saving in cost to the Burgh was duly recorded at each Monthly Meeting.
Firemaster Eccleston gained a Certificate of the Institution of Fire Engineers when he sat the examination in Edinburgh during 1924. His pre-study for the examination made him aware that there was now on the market 2 gallon Foam Extinguishers at £7: 10/- which could extinguish petrol, oil and fat fires. In addition new rubber lined hose was now being produced and the Committee agreed that he purchase hose from McGregor at £27: 10/- plus the extinguisher.
The first fatality from fires within the Burgh was recorded at a Meeting on the 31st May, 1926, when a young child died of burns in hospital.
Negotiations were again re-opened with the Motherwell and Wishaw Burghs in 1927, to find what the terms would be for the attendance of the Motherwell Brigade to fires in Hamilton.
The terms were duly forwarded:- 

1st Attendance                     Firemaster                              £1:   -: -d. per hour
                                                Assistant Firemaster           £0: 10: -d. per hour
                                                Mechanic                              £0:   8: -d. per hour
                                                Fireman                                  £0:   6: -d. per hour
                                                Engine                                    £1: 10: -d. per hour
                                                Petrol & Oil           —            Actual cost 

The above terms were accepted by the Town Council on the 5th April, 1927.
The Town Clerk had been instructed to re-open negotiations with the County Council as to the terms which they would require for giving fire protection within the Burgh. The Burgh were agreeable to transfer the Fire Engine, equipment and personnel to the County.
The Town Clerk reported the result of his negotiations at a Meeting on the 31st March, 1930. The County Council were agreeable to all proposals except the transfer of the personnel.
Letters between the Town Clerk and the County Clerk on the personnel continued for some time, however the result was that Firemaster Eccleston could not be accepted as a Firemaster as Captain Despard, the Chief Constable of Lanarkshire and the County Fire Brigade Firemaster, said that he was not a Police Officer.
Finally the Town Council reluctantly accepted the situation and agreed to the transfer of the Engine and equipment without the personnel.
Mr. Eccleston was granted an honorarium of £50 by the Town Council and remained as Firemaster until the 14th May, 1931.
At midnight on the 14th May, 1931, the County Fire Brigade took over responsibility for fire cover in the Burgh of Hamilton.
The appliance and equipment had previously been removed from the old Fire Station and transferred to County Police Headquarters in Beckford Street.
(Type from an article in File TD1431/46/2 at the Mitchell Library.)

FIREMASTER TO BE DISMISSED

HAMILTON OFFICIAL’S PROTEST 

The Burgh of Hamilton has one of the most efficient fire brigade services in the country, but it will be proposed to the Town Council on Tuesday that the department should be closed and that an arrangement should be completed with Lanark County Council for the services of firemen when necessary.
A point which is likely to engender discussion is the proposal to dismiss the burgh firemaster without compensation for loss of position or the privileges to which he would be entitled under the Fire Brigade Pensions Act.
The present intention of the Town Council is that Mr Arthur Henry Eccleston should continue as firemaster of the burgh till May, and that the County Council should then find him a job as a mechanic.
In an interview, Mr Eccleston said he claimed for himself the same consideration as was shown other officials displaced under amalgamation schemes brought about by the Local Government (Scotland) Act.
The present proposal had been under discussion since March, but during all that time he had never been consulted nor his interests considered.
Mr Eccleston was responsible for the installation of fire and police call boxes throughout the town, through which are received 75 per cent. of the present calls. The magnificent switchboard at the fire station was designed and built by him, and the maintenance cost is less than £5 per annum. It has been inspected by deputations from all parts of the country.
(The Sunday Post, October 12, 1930.)

EXIT BURGH FIRE BRIGADE - The change over of the Hamilton Fire Brigade to County Council control took place on Thursday at Twelve noon, the engine and equipment being removed from the fire station in Duke Street to their new quarters at the County Police building in Beckford Street. The fire station now houses the Burgh Police's "Black Maria".
(The Hamilton Advertiser, May 16,1931. Page 6.)

PASSING OF THE FIRE BRIGADE - With the passing of the local Fire Brigade, there has also closed the several social activities connected with the brigade, of which the Widows and Orphans and the Homeless Funds were in principal. In the Fire Station on Wednesday evening the balance sheet of the Homeless Fund was submitted to the members, and, after careful consideration and several explanations, it was agreed that the balance sheet showed the affairs of the fund had been kept in a very satisfactory state, and the meeting thanked the treasurer, Mr Eccleston, for his work connected with these services. The fund showed a total income of £45 12s 7d, while the expenditure had been £31 14s 5d, leaving a balance of £13 18s 2d, which had been passed over to the hon. treasurer (Mr A. P. Smith) of the local branch of the Queen Victoria Jubilee Nursing Association. Before bidding goodbye, the firemaster addressed the men, and thanked them for their loyalty and attention to duty at all times.
(The Hamilton Advertiser, May 16,1931. Page 6.)