Bettyhill
|
Contact details
Bettyhill Retained Station Opposite Free Church Car Park BETTYHILL Current complement: 10 |
Appliance Type |
|
| Water Tender Ladder |
Bettyhill Personnel
Left to Right: Joanna Johnston, Ewan McGillivray, Tom Mackay, James Mackay (Officer in
Charge)
Alan Hughes, Ross Mackay, Jim MacKenzie, Robert Mackay
The Community We Serve
Bettyhill unit covers a large area from Skerray to Melvich including both Strathnaver and Strath Halladale which mostly consists of single track road and is often hazardous in winter. Throughout our area we cover we have a vast amount of forestation, open moorland, agricultural buildings (both farm and croft) and one community care home. Domestic properties scattered throughout, 8 licenced premises, estate lodges, schools, shops, village halls,churches and a swimming pool.
Community Involvement
Annually we raise funds for various national and local charities, and we erect and light up the Bettyhill Christmas tree annually.
Community Fire Safety
A few years ago Bettyhill crew raised money and bought and fitted battery opperated smoke detectors to 100 senior citizens properties in our turn out area and replace the batteries if required. We visit youth groups and elderly persons either to their homes or community gatherings if requested. Bettyhill unit also successfully run duke of Edinburgh awards for the pupils of Farr High School.
Bettyhill Unit History
Bettyhill unit started up around the nineteen fifties and was run by volunteers of various ages. The equipment consisted of an Acon pump, suction hose, Canvas, 2 inch delivery hose, a branch stirrup pump and chimney rods all housed in a small wooden shed at Bettyhill hotel. Around 1988 Bettyhill fire hut was shifted to where the station is located now under the command of SUB/O H Carney and L/FF R Celli, sadly around that time the unit lost four serving members to illness and death. The equipment and the fire hut was basically the same until 1994 when it was replaced with a light Mercedes van. On the retirement of L/FF Celli in April 1997 FF J Mackay was made up to L/FF. Both SUB/O and L/FF Mackay are the only two serving members in the unit that have operated from the wooden shed. It was decided in 1998 to upgrade the unit to BA and we had paging equipment installed. 1999 saw a change of appliance to a Isuzu Midi Carrying 200 gallons of water, a 3 section 10.5 ladder, Lucas power pack and combi tool along with various other equipment in April 2005. Along with other units Bettyhill is a retained station.
(Above is a picture of the brigade in the 1990's)
Crew Details
At present the unit has 10 members 4 of which
hold the Queens Jubilee Medal:
SUB/O J Mackay
L/FF T Mackay
L/FF G A Hughes
FF J
Mackenzie
FF R
Mackay
FF G Gray
FF E
McGillvray
FF G
Nicol
FF K
Finlayson
FF
J Johnston
Training
One or two times a year we have inter-agency exercises with ambulance and local GP - mainly RTA scenarios and other neighbouring units also join in. In 2004 fire personnel from across the north congregated in Bettyhill to take part in a helicopter course, some photos of which are below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
On the 18th March 2006 the Chief Fire Officer presented
Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to:
|
| Charity Presentation at Bettyhill | |
|
The Caithness Kidney Dialysis Support Group was among a number of charities to benefit from cash raised by firefighters from Bettyhill in their annual duck race on the River Naver, run last year in conjunction with the resurrected Bettyhill Gala. The group’s vice-chair Robert Doull and committee member Fiona Harper travelled from Wick to collect a cheque towards this most worthy cause. The charity exists to provide help, support and financial assistance to kidney dialysis patients who live in the catchment area of the Caithness General Hospital. |
| Leading Firefighter Tom Mackay is pictured handing over the cheque to Fiona Harper and Robert Doull. In the background are, from left to right Firefighter Gordon Gray, Firefighter Jim Mackenzie, Sub Officer James Mackay, Firefighter Ross Mackay, Firefighter Joanna Johnson and Leading Firefighter Alan Hughes. | |