Annan Fire station threw open its doors to the public on Saturday 28 June and gave residents an up-close look the brand new fire engine recently assigned to the station.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crews and their colleagues from Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Safety Camera Partnership welcomed hundreds of members of the community, including local councillors Archie Dryburgh and Ronald Ogilvie.
Firefighters demonstrated how quickly flames can take hold within a home by staging a chip pan fire and shared the simple steps everyone can take to reduce the chance of it happening to them.
Crews from the station also showed-off their firefighting skills, entertaining visitors with demonstrations featuring high pressure hoses and ladders.
Younger residents were delighted to get an up-close look and have their photograph taken with the new fire engine, which is one of four to be deployed in Dumfries and Galloway.
Station Manager Colin Wallace, the district commander for Annandale and Eskdale, said: “It was a fantastic day and a pleasure to welcome so many people from our community.
“We’re delighted our guests had a great time and that they went away with a better understanding of the role played by our crews as well as the steps everyone can take to prevent fire tragedies.
“Modern firefighters do far more than respond to fires and other emergencies. A great deal of work goes into preventing incidents happening in the first place and helping to ensure people can get to safety if the worst does happen.
“The partnerships we have with the public and our fellow emergency responders are absolutely key to protecting Annandale and Eskdale.
“I want to thank our colleagues from Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance and Safety Camera Partnership for making this a truly multi-agency open day and helping raise £370 for the Fire Fighters Charity.”
Like many rural and remote areas throughout Scotland, communities across Dumfries and Galloway are protected by firefighters who come from all walks of life but commit to responding to emergencies in their area.
The men and women who serve as members of auxiliary units or on the retained duty system are essential to ensuring towns and villages always have fire and rescue cover.
Station Manager Wallace continued: “I know our communities are extremely thankful to our retained and volunteer crews who do absolutely vital work.
“We are also grateful to the employers who understand the value of having a staff member who is trained to face exceptionally challenging situations and has the skills and confidence to play a positive role within their regular workplace.
“These firefighters display a tremendous amount of commitment we are always keen to hear from anyone who thinks they could take up the role.”
As part of their work to protect communities across Dumfries and Galloway local SFRS crews routinely conduct free home fire safety visits within the area.
The popular Free Home Fire Safety Visit programme is easy to arrange and visits are always conducted at a time suitable for the householder.
To join Scotland’s fight against fire and arrange a visit, call the freephone number 0800 0731 999, text ‘check’ to 61611 or complete the online form at www.firescotland.gov.uk.
