The Western Fire Area Administration Scheme Order, 1948

                                                                                    Equipment                                                                                                     Volunteer

                                                                                    1 Two Men manual Pump                                                                            5  Firemen

Volunteer Frances has then last laugh

Frances McLean (19) spends her working life as head waitress at the St Catherine’s Hotel on the shores of Loch Fyne, but at a moments notice she is ready to turn out as a volunteer fire fighter.
She is probably the youngest female volunteer in Strathclyde and has been a member of the St Catherine’s Unit for just over six months.
Frances explained how she became involved: “Some of the men who came into the hotel were kidding me on about joining and so I Just decided to take them up on it.”
As the “baby” of the Unit she has had to take some kidding, but Frances now feels that she has been accepted by the rest of the Unit.
The leader of the Unit, Mr Lewis Laurie, who owns the St Catherine’s Hotel, has no doubts at all about Frances’ ability.
He said: “She is a girl of tremendous calibre. She’s very fit and is very capable.
‘‘In fact. Frances is capable of doing anything a man can do in the fire service.”
Mr Laurie has been leading the St Catherine’s Unit for the past eight years
He said: "I feel that the auxiliary’s job is to assist the professionals.”
Frances enjoys being a member of the Unit and it’s true to say that she is following in her father’s footsteps because he is a member of the Volunteer Unit at Strachur.
<PHOTO> Frances serves up the soup to her father, John, in the dining room of the St. Catherine’s Hotel.
(Strathclyde Fireman No. 4. January, 1979. Page 2.)

Lewis bids farewell 

After 12 years in the, job. Lewis Laurie, manager of the St Catherine’s Hotel on the shores of Loch Fyne, Argyll has retired as Leader of the hamlet’s Volunteer Unit.
Lewis joined the former Western Area Fire Brigade in June 1971 and after only four months was made Leader.
The farewell social evening, held in the hotel, brought members of the unit together along with colleagues from the retained station at Dunoon and a presentation was made by the district officer, Station Officer David Daiziel.
The new Leader is Duncan Munro and no doubt both he and the rest of the Unit will miss Lewis, the only “firemaster” who went on duty wearing the kilt.
(Strathclyde Fireman newsletter No. 22 August 1983)

1951 A hose box sufficiently large to hold the equipment of the Volunteer Fire Party was erected at a central point in the village.

In 1953 there were seven men.

28/1/1998 Apparently 2 volunteers and application has been made to Scottish Office to close Unit.

29/10/1998 Alison Clark is the only member of the unit at present and the unit hasn't been operational for a couple of years, calls being covered by Strachur.

By 18/7/2012 this Unit has been disbanded, I'm trying to find out the date this happened.