On the 27th June 1978 the Police and Fire Committee of Strathclyde Regional Council approved an increase to the Establishment at Arrochar and Lesmahagow of 1 Leading Fireman and 3 Firemen as a Road Rescue Unit was being provided at both stations.

Was 1 Water Tender and 1 Road Rescue Unit. Road Rescue Unit was moved to Inveraray when ATV arrived.
April 1979 Land bought for a new Fire Station.
Arrochar used to be a Volunteer Unit until ? Apparently they once refused to go to a grass fire as they could see the fire and it wasn't endangering anything. They were asked to turn out a few times but kept refusing and as they were volunteers they couldn't be forced to go. So some time afterwards they were made a retained unit so they would have go if turned out.

The Land Rover and Forestry Trailer were taken off the run on Tuesday the 15th February, 2005. The establishment will be reduced to 10 through natural wastage. Alterations done to the station means it is now a 1 bay station as a disabled toilet has been built in the second bay.

In Edition 2, April 1976, of the "Strathclyde Fireman" newspaper there s a photo of the Arrochar retained crew consisting of:- Tommy Kay, Alex Parker, Sub Officer Ronnie MacDonald, Nicky Bichart, Rab Campbell, Graham Gillies, Leading Fireman Arthur Ross, John Fiskin (kneeling) and Darkie the dog.

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, Arrochar was changed from L11 to E21.

It was learned at the District Council Meeting last week that steps are being taken by the appropriate authority in collaboration with the new County Council towards providing new accommodation for the local fire fighting equipment.
(Helensburgh and Garelochhead Times, October 16, 1957. Page 3)

For the first time in its history Arrochar is to have its own custom built fire station.
The new station will be officially opened on Wednesday and will house one fire engine and a road rescue vehicle, a specially converted Land Rover.
The station will be manned by a crew of retained firemen, and is equipped with its own training yard and tower.
The opening will be performed by Councillor William Goudie, chairman of Strathclyde Regional Council's buildings and properties committee, and also attending will be Councillor James Jennings, chairman of the police and fire committee.
Local regional councillor Billy Petrie will attend as will MP Ian Campbell. Dumbarton District Council will be represented, and after the opening, scheduled for 11-30 a.m., a luncheon will be served in a local hotel.
(Helensburgh Advertiser, Friday, 8th January 1982, Page 9)

Personal Particulars

Mr and Mrs McSherry resided in the hotel, where she was employed as Book-keeper, and he was an electrician with Messrs. Marples, Ridgway and Partners at the Hydro Electric Scheme now under construction at Cairndow. They had been in Arrochar district for six years or so.
Mr Cook and Mr King had been in the area for some months and residing in the hotel while they were engaged along with two colleagues in survey work on behalf of the Air Survey Company, London. The two dead men had been planning to travel home for a holiday by the morning train from Arrochar.

Alarm Raised

The outbreak was discovered by a Mrs Murray who woke up to find her room full of thick smoke. She immediately wakened Miss MacFarlan and between them they raised the alarm and endeavoured to warn everyone in the hotel.
It was impossible to reach the telephone in the hotel because of the heat and a call for the fire brigade was telephoned from a neighbouring house.
The alarm was received at 4-30 a.m. and the Arrochar voluntary fire brigade was at the scene of the outbreak in eight minutes. Mr Rio Cordiner, who was in charge, said that they had two lines of hose playing on the fire within a few minutes but he realised there was nothing they could do to save the building.
Mr Cordiner and his local fire brigade are to be complimented on their valiant effort and strenuous endeavour.

Like A Flaming Torch

The whole interior, Mr Cordiner said, was like a great flaming torch, the floor of the upper storey had fallen before his arrival and shortly thereafter the roof fell in. Additional help was given to the local unit by the Forestry Commission's fighting team which arrived with their fire engine shortly after the siren had been sounded.
Fire brigades from Helensburgh, Alexandria, Dumbarton and Clydebank raced to the scene, the Helensburgh brigade actually arriving within half an hour of the call being received, but the whole building by then was alight from end to end and completely beyond saving.
Owing to depleted water supplies, following on the protracted drought, when the village was completely without a supply for many weeks, the brigades which had arrived ran out hoses to Loch Long and obtained a sufficient supply from there to ultimately extinguish the flames.
All four who died are believed to have been suffocated by smoke. Because of flames and smoke, rescuers could not reach their bedrooms which were on the upper floor. Their bodies were afterwards found at the ground floor level.

Villagers Assist in Rescue Work

There were 11 or 12 people in the hotel which had 12 bedrooms, and when the alarm was raised some of the guests escaped by leaping from top floor windows at the back of the building; others were helped to safety by villagers who had hurried to the scene when they heard the siren, a ladder being placed to bedroom windows in some cases to assist.
Fortunately, there were no injuries to those who escaped by jumping or scrambling down rhone pipes, but most of them lost practically all their possessions.
It has been concluded that the outbreak originated in the lounge, but it has not been possible to determine the cause.

A Possible Cause

What may have had some connection was the fact that the nearby garage, owned by Mr McTavish had been broken into that morning and a number of tools stolen. Whether the burglar had afterwards broken into the hotel and been the cause of the fire is not, of course, known, but the possibility could not be overlooked.
This tragic happening has cast quite a cloud over the district where Mr and Mrs McSherry were well known and very much respected. Although the other two who lost their lives were only a short time in the area they appear to have been of a friendly, sociable nature and had made quite a number of friends.
Considerable sympathy is felt for Miss McFarlan for the ordeal through which she has passed and at the loss of her home and business of which she was very proud and endeavoured to conduct as a friendly, homely establishment.
(Helensburgh and Garelochhead Times, September 21, 1955. Page 3)