Establishment 2000

New Station dedicated on Tuesday, 20/6/1989.

There was a station in 1946.

New Fire Station Opened at Douglas
ANNUAL INSPECTION OF COUNTY BRIGADE 

<PHOTO> Mr Fox cuts the tape with a hatchet to open the station. On the left is Firemaster Nisbet with Deputy Firemaster Duncan on the right.
The annual inspection of the Lanarkshire Fire Brigade was held in Douglas last Saturday to coincide with the opening of the new local station. The opening ceremony was performed by ex-Bailie John Fox, chairman of the Joint Fire Committee.
Mr Fox, accompanied by the secretary of the Scottish Home Department, Mr C. C. Cunningham, C.B.E., C.V.O., Firemaster A Nisbet, G.M., O.B.E., and other members of the party, first inspected the Douglas retained staff and their appliance under the command of Assistant Firemaster H. H. Duncan, M.B.E.
In his address Mr Fox said that the duty he was performing was one which seldom fell the lot of a Fire Brigade Committee chairman these days. Money, material and labour were so scarce that the building of fire stations was necessarily slow.

Second in Five Months

In Lanarkshire, however, ways and means had been found and, in fact, this was the second temporary station to be opened within five months. He was proud of this achievement and also proud of the high standard of the finished job in the case of this Douglas station. It was another example of the fine spirit of co-operation and camaraderie which existed within the brigade, all of this work having been done by firemen of the brigade, assisted by the retained staff of the station.
Mr Fox then cut with a fire axe the tape at the entrance to the station and declared it open.
Firemaster Nisbet conducted the official party through the station, explaining that the building originally had been a slaughterhouse and describing what it had been like only five months ago.
The station did justice to the incessant scrubbing and polishing which had been done throughout the previous week by L/Fireman Taylor and the local retained staff.
The main appliance room with its green floors and cream walls was spotless and to complete the picture there were vases of flowers at each window. The party went from there via the muster room to the adjoining kitchen, the station office, the stores room and the oblutions and showers. At each place satisfaction was expressed at the high standard of the work. The boiler house was also inspected. Firemen members of the official party appreciated the central heating system and also the lighting system by fluorescent strips in the appliance room and roof bowl lights elsewhere. The air of modernity and efficiency throughout was as Firemaster Nisbet remarked “conductive to efficient work on the part of the staff, the muster room especially engendering the ‘club atmosphere’ which is so essential to the ‘esprit de corps’ of the brigade.”
Before the official party left the station, Mr Fox was presented with a lovely bouquet by Miss Ann Ramage, daughter of one of the local firemen.

Inspection in Castle Policies

In the old stables area of Douglas Castle policies, meantime, representative teams from the stations at Biggar, Cambuslang, Coatbridge, Douglas, Larkhall, Motherwell and Rutherglen were drawn up on parade with their appliance for the annual inspection. Over 160 firemen and women were on parade, making a very brave and impressive show.
After inspection, the Riley Shield competition for the most efficient drill by crews from retained stations was held and resulted in Cambuslang winning easily over the crews from Larkhall and the holders Biggar.
A demonstration of the difference in the performance of a manual fire pump of 80 years ago and that of the latest self propelled dual purpose appliance, with its almost unbelievable power, was both amusing and impressive.
The inspection finished with the presentation of the Riley Shield by Mr Fox to the leading fireman of the Cambuslang station.
The appliances were then open for inspection by the public and amid the clang of the bells, and the sounding of the sirens and the starting up of the engines, the 100 foot ladder of the Rutherglen turntable machine was raised and lowered.
Tea was then provided for all taking part in the day’s proceedings, the official party being conveyed to the Douglas Arms Hotel and the firemen and their guests to the British Legion Hall, where Mrs J. Cook catered for over 250 people.
To close this most memorable day, a social evening and dance for all guests and personnel was held in the Douglas British Legion Hall in the evening.
(The Hamilton Advertiser,13^th October, 1951. Page 11)

douglas FIRE STATION
There has been a fire station at Douglas for over 40 years, the first station opening on 6th October 1951. Douglas is a Retained Unit being manned by personnel drawn from the local community.
The current modern 2 bay station was opened in June 1988 and has an office, lecture room/recreation room, breathing apparatus maintenance room, together with a large drill yard and training tower, all prerequisites necessary to train to the high standard required for today’s firefighters.
The station is equipped with a Scania Water Tender ladder.

all terrain VEHICLE
Within Strathclyde there are extensive areas of forestry and moorland which can present firefighters with major problems with regard to access for appliances, personnel and equipment. In order to overcome some of the problems mentioned above, Strathclyde Fire Brigade has purchased an All Terrain Vehicle which is capable of traversing areas of moorland and forest inaccessible to normal wheeled vehicles.
There are now two of these vehicles in the Brigade, one at Arrochar and this one at Douglas. The vehicle is a diesel powered Glencoe manufactured by Scot Track of Nairn. The all Terrain Vehicle operates on four-wheeled tracks for maximum manoeuvrability over rough terrain. a firefighting capability is provided by a pump to the rear of the chassis which supplies two hosereels.

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