1 Pump Retained.

In Strathclyde Fire Brigade this was station F13 from May 1975 to October 2005 when it became station M11.

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, Balloch was changed from M11 to E20.

£50,000 FIRE STATION OPENED IN BALLOCH

Balloch's new £50,000 "unmanned" fire station was officially opened last week.
Bailie William Adam of Dumbarton Town Council and a member of the Joint Fire Committee performed the unveiling ceremony inside the new building situated in Carrochan Road.
Eleven part time firemen will look after the station.
But as soon as the alarm bell rings the retainers will be mobile to whatever emergency within three minutes.
In charge of the station is Mr Thomas Harkins, an engineer, and Mr Alex Donald, a driving instructor. Eventually one of the two men will be in overall charge of the station which has been designed to increase the strength of the Dumbarton fire service.
The part timers, who come from all walks of life and include a school teacher, motor mechanic, lorry driver and hospital porter, also performed a drill ceremony for those present.
They showed their guests who included the firemaster Mr Samuel Park, the use of the equipment on their single fire engine.
There were also Queen's awards made to four firemen and a fifth presentation made to another man.
Councillor Michael Kelly presented Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to firemen W. Gibb, of Dumbarton, A. Littlejohn, of Kirkintilloch; J. Caldwell Clydebank and ex-retainer Douglas Downie all of whom have served 20 years each.
A miniature fireman's helmet was handed over to Mr Ronald Crabb; of Dumbarton; who retired in November after 12 years with the service.
Firemaster Park said: "This new station is most strategically placed and it will augment Dumbarton. It will be able to cover Helensburgh, Faslane and Finnart as well as the area towards Drymen.
"These lads have volunteered their services and they have been training two hours a week for six months."
Emergency calls will also ring out at Dumbarton station and the Balloch retainers, who all live in the nearby Haldane and Dalvait housing schemes, will be on their way in minutes.
Within two hours of the new station opening the firemen dealt with their first "emergency".
A woman and her two young children walked into the station and asked to us their telephone.
Mrs Susan Biggart, her children Clair 4, and Katie 2 from Cardross were "stranded" outside the station when her car broke down. She contacted a garage who came to her assistance.
<Photo> The new Balloch fire station which was opened last week.
<Photo> Leading fireman Alex Donald.
(County Reporter, Wednesday, 19th February 1957 Page 21)

MAN THE BALLOCH FIRE STATION!

DIVISIONAL OFFICER MORAN IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR 14 VOLUNTEERS 

The new fire station being built at Balloch is expected to be completed within the next few months.
And already the Central Area Fire Brigade is on the lookout for local men to man the station and protect the community.
Dumbarton man, Hugh Moran, divisional officer for this part of the central area, based in the fire station in Castlegreen Street, said: “We will need 14 volunteers to man the Balloch fire station. Within the next few weeks we will be launching an advertising campaign to get local men who will be able to work for us.
“At the moment we have had one or two applications, and we hope that men from the Balloch area – within a mile of the station – will be interested enough in the community to become volunteer firemen.”
The Assistant Firemaster, Mr. David Campbell told the “Herald”: “The part time firemen will have a responsible position in Balloch. They will be sure of a minimum of £117 per year, plus a fee of £1.82 for every fire they attend.
“But it is not just the extra money which should attract the part-timers. There is the excitement, and the work which has a definite purpose. These men save lives and help people in all sorts of different situations.
“The men we want will be interested in their own community and they will want to protect it.”
He added: “The part-timers put in about two hours duty every week at the local station, partly for training, and partly to help their mates with the maintenance of essential equipment, and the working hours arranged in the evening so as not to interfere with the men’s regular work.
“Part -time firemen are not only needed at the new fire station which is being built – at a cost of more than £47,000 – in Dalvait Road.
We are also looking for full-time firemen, because the number of hours of work in the service are being shortened”, said Mr. Morgan.
“There are many men in all sorts of professions who would be able to become firemen, and I can recommend the service.
“The wages are good, and there are plenty of training in all aspects of technical work, like chemistry, physics, maintenance, lifesaving, and even law.”
He went on: “Many people don’t want to join us because we work shifts, and sometimes the hours are long. But there are extra rates of pay for unsocial hours, and the work is exciting, challenging and very necessary.”
The new station in Balloch will be well equipped to take care of emergencies locally, and to assist the Dumbarton Brigade all over this area.
(The Lennox Herald, Friday, April 26, 1974. Page 14)

Part-time firemen to help guard Vale

The new fire station at Balloch, built to supplement the full time brigade at Dumbarton and Helensburgh, was officially opened yesterday (Wednesday) as the Lennox Herald went to press.
The building, situated adjacent to the Carrochan Roundabout, cost £56,000 and will he operated by 12 local part time firemen.
Divisional Officer Hugh Moran said last week that the new station was part of a plan by the central area fire brigade to improve the standard of fire cover in all parts of the area.
He said: "There has been a lack of cover in the Vale of Leven in terms of mileage because Dumbarton is the nearest station. Both Helensburgh and Dumbarton have full time stations which can send tenders to the Vale. They will be backed up by the Balloch men."
The new station has a large training area, a covered wash area, appliance room, control, muster and recreation and lecture rooms. The part time men will have kitchen facilities, showers and toilets.
Mr Moran said that the part time men have almost completed their training, and will soon be on call to attend fires and other emergencies in their own area.
"Morale is very high," he said. "All the men are interested in their own community and hope to be able to protect it.
"They all have their own jobs to do, but in the event of a fire they will be called out to assist."
One of the local part timers is Mr Alex Donald. chairman of the West Dunbartonshire Drivers' Association, who will be one of the leading firemen at the station.
Alex said: "I decided to join the part time brigade a few months ago. I feel that I can do something to help the community. All the lads are very keen, and we find this is a very interesting part time occupation.
"I don't think that any of them joined up because of the money. We feel that since the fire station is there, it should be manned by local people who are interested in the community enough to do something for it.
"If a fire breaks out in the Vale of Leven, we can be there within minutes. If there are children to save, then we will save them. I think that is why we joined the brigade. We just want to do something for the people in this area."
(The Lennox Herald, Thursday, 13th February 1975 Page 11)

But Bailie turns hose on regionalisation

Dumbarton Bailie William Adam last week hit out at the effect the reorganisation of local government will have on the fire service in the area.
Bailie Adam was speaking in the new £60,000 fire station which he opened in Balloch on Wednesday.
He told a large gathering of councillors, officials, firemen and experts that he was concerned about regionalisation as far as it affects the Central Area Fire Brigade.
"In the Central Area, we have a very unique fire service, covering a large area including Dunbartonshire, Clackmannanshire and Stirlingshire. It was reorganised in 1948 and has been working extremely well since then," said Bailie Adam.
"It is one of the most forward thinking services in the Country, all the experts agree, and has built 18 new stations within its area since the brigade came into being. This station is the fourth to be built in Dunbartonshire within the past few years, and another is to be opened in Helensburgh in May."
Bailie Adam, who is a member of the Central Area Fire Committee said that the service would be split up soon between the Strathclyde and Central Regional Councils.
"Many people think that this will not he a good thing because Strathclyde's population is about double that of the central region, and it is thought that the split will not do the fire service any good.
"The Central Area Fire Brigade covered a region of its own, which was not affected by local authority boundaries. I feel that it is not a good idea to start doing this now.
There is a very good liaison at present between the committee, the officers and the men, but we don't know what the relationship will be like when reorganisation affects the brigade."
Bailie Adam also hit out at the number of fires which are started in this area due to vandalism, but he said that the new Balloch station would give a much better coverage between Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven and Helensburgh.
Firemaster Samuel Park said that the new station was "first class", and he told the gathering that the part time firemen will be fully operational in about six weeks after an intensive training course.
"The men are very keen to start, and they are pleased with their new base," he said.
Mr Park allayed fears about the dangers of having a polaris missile base in the vicinity.
"Some people are frightened to have the naval bases not far away from where they live, but as far as the fire brigade is concerned, Faslane and Coulport carry the same risk as any other place. The only danger is of buildings catching fire, and that happens anywhere.
"A bigger danger is at Finnart where the supertankers unload their oil. However, we have carried out exercises on this to perfect the techniques of handling ship fires."
<Photo> William Gibb received a long service medal after 20 years in the local brigade
<Photo> Michael Kelly the fire committee chairman presents a long service medal to Douglas Downie who retired from the Dumbarton retained brigade after 21 years
<Photo> Bailie Adam, Firemaster Park and Station officer James Munro are pictured with the part time firemen who will man the Balloch Station.
<Photo> The new fire station is officially opened with the unveiling of the plaque by Bailie Adam. Looking on is Mr Sam Park.
(The Lennox Herald, Thursday, 20th February, 1975 Page 8)

The station appeared to be at Alexandria before Balloch, Central Fire Brigade.
Alexandria Appliance
CMS507 AEC Regal/Merryweather TL

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

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