The Angus Fire Area Administration Scheme Order, 1958

                                                Equipment                                                             Wholetime

                                                1 Turntable Ladder                                              2 Station Officers
                                                2 Pump Appliances                                              4 Sub Officers
                                                1 Other Operational Vehicle                               4 Leading Firemen
                                                                                                                                38 Firemen

Establishment 2000

                                                Equipment                                                             Wholetime

                                                2 Water Tender Ladders                                    
                                                1 Aerial Ladder Platform                                    
                                                1 Control Unit                                                      

Establishment 2017

The Prime Mover has a Mass Decontamination Pod, Balmossie retained take their pump to Blackness Road and take the PM and their pump to the incident.
The Establishment is 5 watches consisting of 11 crew. (Twitter 24/12/2017)

This was A01 until 28/6/2004 when it became Station 1 and on ?/12/2015 it became P03 with the introduction of the new National Call Signs.

The Night I Joined The Fire Brigade

There’s more to a fireman’s job than what is seen by people watching him trying to get a fire under control—as I found out when I reported for duty at the Central Fire Station, Dundee, one recent evening.
I arrived at 6 p.m., just in time for the roll call of the Blue Shift as it came on duty under Station Officer James Moir, 4 Wilkie’s Lane.
There are three shifts at the Central—Red, White and Blue. Each does two days’ dayshift (8a.m.-6p.m.), two days’ nightshift (6p.m.-8a.m.) and then has two days off.

A List

After roll-call, each fireman has to check the equipment on his own appliance.
“There you are, there’s your inventory,” said Station Officer Moir, handing me a list of items the water tender carries.
I took a quick look. Blimey, by the time I got this little lot checked it would be time for knocking off at eight o’clock the next morning.
To a fireman’s expert eye I was told, the list is chicken feed. He can open a locker and tell at a glance if any thing is missing.

The Machines

Not wishing to hold up the appliances should an “Alarm” go, I passed on the checking to somebody else and had a look at the different machines.
There are four available at the Central, consisting of:—
Water Tender, manned by one station officer and four firemen It carries 400 gallons of water which is sufficient to get a line of hose in use immediately on arrival until a suitable hydrant is located. It has a two-way radio link with the control room at HQ.
Pump Escape, manned by one sub-officer and four firemen. It has a manually operated ladder, which extends to 55 feet, and also has two-way radio.
Turntable Ladder, manned by leading fireman and three firemen. This has a mechanically operated ladder extending to 100 feet.
Emergency Tender, manned by leading fireman and three firemen. It is used for chimney fires, tree rescues, persons locked out, pumping water from basements, &c.

Control Room

As the rest of the firemen trooped into the recreation room at 6.30 for an hour’s lecture, I left them and looked in at the control room (photo below). There are two women here at a time.
All 999 fire calls in Angus come here.
The girl at the switchboard looks up the number of appliances required for the job.
She then rings the alarm bell, which sounds throughout the station, at the same time switching on red lights over the machines that are to go out on the job.

Deployment

A large chart shows the deployment of men in the county. There are 10 stations—Central, Northern and Broughty Ferry in Dundee (manned by full-time firemen), and Monifieth, Carnoustie, Arbroath, Montrose, Brechin, Forfar and Kirriemuir (manned by part-time firemen).
Feeling now in a position to talk on level terms with the Blue Shift men, I joined them for the last part of their evening’s lecture.
The subject was Legislation.
“Tell me,” said Station Officer Moir, “what’s the rule for fire engines at traffic lights?”
“Oh, you just bash straight across regardless,” I said with a smug air.
The rest of the class glared at me. My cheeks went redder than the colour on the aforementioned traffic lights and I wished I were wearing firemen’s boots. I could have crept down inside them and out of sight.
“You are not, repeat NOT, allowed to go through red traffic lights,” said Station Officer Moir. “You generally find fire engines do, but only after ascertaining the coast is clear.”
Another rule says fire engines may exceed the speed limit only when going to a fire. On the way back they must stick to the limit.
I was glad when 7.30 came round and 1 was saved any more embarrassing questions.

Free Hour

For the next half hour there were small jobs to be done around the station, until at eight o’clock we trooped back into the recreation room for an hour’s free time before supper.
A large number of the men have trade qualifications. I asked what had caused them to give up their trades.
Leading Fireman Alex. Geddes, 231 Fintry Drive, used to be a slater. He joined the Fire Service in 1956 because he wanted a steady wage. There is more chance of advancement, too. He was promoted to leading fireman last September.
Fireman Sandy Batchelor, 18 Ravenscraig Road, served his apprenticeship as a painter and decorator. “But when I came out of the Army 18 months ago the painting trade in Dundee wasn’t very stable. In the Fire Service there’s a better chance to get on.”

Canteen

The boys crowded round the snooker table—there are also table tennis, a TV set and small canteen for lemonade, chocolates and cigarettes.
The pink had just been potted when Station Officer Moir nudged me. “C’mon, I’ll show you something. Away and sit in the fire tender and see what happens.”
I had just got settled down when the alarm went. Men came scurrying from all directions (photo above).

Suspicious

Station Officer Muir jumped in the front seat beside the driver, two other firemen jumped in beside me. Within 10 seconds of the first sound of the alarm we were swinging through the narrow doors and out into Bell Street.
The men beside me changed into their boots and heavy jackets, fixed on their belts with axes and rope by their side, donned their helmets.
As we went down Courthouse Square and along Ward Road I had a feeling they were eyeing me suspiciously. Yes, it was all a ruse by the station officer just for my benefit.
I hoped I wasn’t the cause of breaking up the snooker game at a crucial moment.
Ah, well, it gives them good practice,” was Station Officer Moir’s comment.
(Evening Telegraph, Tuesday, April 18, 1961. Page 6.)

WORK AND PLAY AT NEW FIRE BRIGADE H.Q.

Today’s photo feature takes you inside Dundee’s ultra-modern £500,000 Western Fire Station In Blackness Road.
The upper floors of the three storey wing are given over to accommodation for the firemen and offices for headquarters staff.
There are no houses in the new station.

TRAINING BLOCK

A large part of the station precinct is for training facilities.
There is a 60 foot high drill tower for ladder practice (right) and a three storey block for training personnel in the use of breathing apparatus.
The three floors are connected by hatches and stair wells.
For one exercise it can be a block of houses with each floor sub-divided by portable partitions.
The next exercise could see the block being used to simulate a ship on fire, with hatches into holds, &c.
Deep tanks in the exercise yard are used to test pumps. Until the station was built the pumps had to be tested at the harbour.

LINK WITH THE PAST

A century-old fire engine has an honourable place at the entrance to the headquarters.
The engine (top right) was part of the Camperdown Works Brigade, which helped fight the £450,000 Seagate Bond fire in 1906.
It was presented to the Angus Area Fire Brigade by Jute Industries, Ltd.
The only other link with the past are “jump poles”—still the quickest way down to fire appliances in an emergency.
The Control Room is the nerve centre of the station, the most modern in Britain.
Firewomen operate the communication console with its telephones and radios.
No longer are firemen summoned into action by strident bells.
A bleeper sounds the alert and the firewomen announce over loudspeakers which appliances are required and where the fire is. They also open the appliance room doors from the console.
This modern call out system is linked to the Northern and Broughty fire stations.
Firefighting calls for a high degree of physical fitness. The station has a gymnasium (right) which would do credit to any school.
The latest fire prevention techniques and precautions have been incorporated in the new fire station. A fire alarm system is linked to the control room console.
The emergency exit lights are radioactive! A harmless element, which doesn’t need replacement for 18 years, takes the place of a light bulb and it glows luminously in the dark to illuminate the sign.
<PHOTO> TL extended against the drill tower.
<PHOTO> The steamer from Camperdown Works.
<PHOTO> Firemen in the gym.
<PHOTO> In the Control Room, Leading Firewoman Eileen Robertson (right) and Firewoman Margaret Knight.
<PHOTO> At Gullane last week, three years after they formed a golf club, the Angus Area Fire Brigade team won the British Fire Service challenge cup. They took the Sheriff Cup (four singles and two two - ball foursomes) by four strokes from the holders, South Eastern (Edinburgh). Thirty two teams from all over Britain took part. Angus have twice been runners up. Fireman Maurice Dodds won the British Fire Protection Cup with a net 72 (85-13).
Back (left to right) – J. Ferrier, M. F. Dodds, D. Hutcheon.
Front – D. F. MacLean, F. Tennant, J. Clark.
None of these photos are on this site.
(Evening Telegraph, Thursday, May 28,1970. Page 12.)

1963 With the abandonment of the site at Parker Street/Dudhope Crescent Road which had earlier been procured for the development of a new Dundee Central Fire Station, the attention of the Authority has been focussed towards the alternative of providing two Stations. These would be located on opposite sides of the central area perimeter and in modern traffic conditions would provide easier and better access to the major fire risks of the city.
A decision has now been made to acquire a site to the west at Cherryfield Lane on which a suitable Station and Headquarters can be developed. The eastern side of the city centre, however, presents a more difficult problem and enquiries in this direction are being pursued.

Officially opened on 14/5/1970 as the Western Fire Station.

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