Fife Fire and Rescue Service facts for kids
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|
| Operational area | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Scotland |
| Region | Fife |
| Agency overview | |
| Established | 1985 |
| Facilities and equipment | |
| Stations | 14 |
Imagine a team of brave firefighters ready to help people and keep them safe! The Fife Fire and Rescue Service was once the main fire and rescue team for the area of Fife in Scotland. They were officially responsible for protecting people from fires and other dangers. This service joined with other fire teams in 2013 to form one big team called the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Contents
History of Fife's Fire Service
The Fife Fire and Rescue Service started in 1985. It grew out of an older group called Fife Fire Brigade. This change happened because of a law passed in 1947, which made sure every area had a fire service.
Unlike some other fire services in the United Kingdom, Fife's service worked as one big team. It was not split into smaller groups. Fife is a large area with many countryside parts. Because of this, many of its fire stations had "retained" firefighters. These are firefighters who are on-call, meaning they respond when needed, rather than being at the station all the time. This helps cover rural areas where a full-time station might not be needed.
Joining Forces: The 2013 Amalgamation
On April 1, 2013, something big happened for fire services in Scotland. The Fife Fire and Rescue Service, along with seven other fire and rescue services across Scotland, all joined together. They formed one new, larger service called the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Before 2013, Scotland had eight separate fire services, each looking after its own region. This system had been in place since 1975. By bringing them all together, the aim was to make fire and rescue services more efficient and work better across the whole country. The main office for the new Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was set up in Perth.
Fire Stations in Fife
The Fife Fire and Rescue Service had 14 fire stations. These stations were either "wholetime" or "retained" (on-call).
- Eight retained fire stations:
- Anstruther
- Auchtermuchty
- Burntisland
- Cupar
- Newburgh
- St Andrews (There were plans to make this a day-staffed station)
- St Monans
- Tayport
- Five wholetime stations:
- Pitreavie
- Glenrothes
- Kirkcaldy
- Lochgelly
- Methil
The main office for the Fife Fire and Rescue Service was located in Thornton.
Scotland's Fire Services Before 2013
Before the big change in 2013, Scotland had eight different fire and rescue services. These were:
- Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service
- Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue Service
- Fife Fire and Rescue Service
- Grampian Fire and Rescue Service
- Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service
- Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
- Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service
- Tayside Fire and Rescue Service
These same regional areas were also used for police forces. Like the fire services, these eight police forces also joined together on April 1, 2013, to create one national police force called Police Scotland.
See also
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
- FiReControl
- Fire apparatus
- Fire engine
- Fire
- Fire and rescue authority (Scotland)
