During the time of the British Aluminium (BA) Factory at Foyers, they had a local works affiliated Fire Brigade. The equipment they used would have evolved through the years as improvements happened. We can only surmise that the factory local team would initially only have basic equipment.
But by March 1940 concern was raised about the time it would take for a Fire appliance to get from Inverness to distant places like Foyers and a trailer pump should be provided for use in firefighting. So shortly after that they had a trailer pump as well as stirrup pumps etc.
In September 1944 at the White City Glasgow of which seventy-five works fire-fighting teams competed in the Scottish final trials, to qualify for the British Final. Foyers entered stirrup and trailer pump teams. The Foyers team of Wattie Dunbar, Hugh Gray and W Cameron in the stirrup pump section of seventeen teams, came out winners with a Scottish record of one minute and five second. Whilst their trailer pump team came in a commendable fourth. The stirrup team competed in the British finals in London, but unfortunately could not replicate their earlier success.
The Brigade had a Scammel trailer pump which was pulled by the works Land Rover. They were both housed in a garage on the river side of the factory around where the sawmill was. The brigade fire-fighting equipment would have been stored there as well. With the closure of the BA factory in 1966 the works brigade would have ceased shortly afterwards and the fire brigade service was then provided from Inverness or Fort Augustus.
By January 1979 there was a Volunteer Fire service for the area again as a report in the Highland News Senior Fire officer Ken Brown had been campaigning for more than a year for better fire equipment. He claimed that two fires in recent months had completely destroyed one house and another had destroyed an out building, these losses could have been averted with better equipment. A plea was made for Green Goddess fire engines which were originally civil defence vehicles to be supplied to rural volunteer services like Foyers. The Foyers volunteer service was still going in late 1983 but seems to have ceased shortly afterwards.
Around late 1985 the lower bridge over the river Foyers due to structural defects caused by lack of maintenance was closed to vehicular traffic. This resulted in residents on the west side of the river taking their cars over the Uchdach track coming out at intake, Glenlia, then leaving them on the east side of the bridge to use them for work etc. With the realisation that in the event of a house fire in Riverside and Elmbank etc there would be no access for the Fire Brigade to assist them. Worried residents approached the Highland and Islands fire Brigade in Inverness.
This resulted in a volunteer local fire group being formed at Foyers with stirrup pumps ect and they stored their equipment at a shed at the old outreach centre at Elmbank. They were under the leadership of Sub Officer Colin Evans other members of the team included Allan Macdonald, Sandy Steel, Paul Higham, Ken Brown Jock Stoddart. The volunteers met one night a month for training along with training courses which were set by the Highland and Islands Fire Brigade including one at Invergordon for houses fires.
The volunteer brigade used a building along at Foyers pier for and training before moving to a room in the old BA factory as their base.
The Foyers group then became an Auxiliary unit training once a fortnight
In 2003 the Brigade received their first appliance a LDV 400 Convoy (3.85t)/HIFB was parked at sub officer Neil Kirkland house at Aberchalder for approx. 18 months
In Cira 2003 there was a proposal to have the local brigade first purpose-built station to accommodate the appliance down at the old BA factory. But as all the current firemen were living in the Stratherrick area, the decision was taken to situate the station at Gorthleck.
In April 2005 Foyers was incorporated into the Highlands and Islands Fire Brigade as a retained unit with training once a week and receiving a retaining fee.
By October 2005 the purpose-built garage and fire station was built on land owned by Forestry Commission that was formally used for the works camp of the 1970 Hydro scheme.
For an account of a Foyers Sub Officers time in the Unit click here
Senior Fire officer of Volunteer Ken Brown c1978- 1983
Sub Officer Colin Evans c 1986- 1997