How It Began

Late on a Saturday afternoon the retained crews fighting a large moorland fire at Invergarry reported that the fire had entered a plantation of standing timber and made a request for additional assistance.  I was sent as an Assistant Divisional Officer to take charge of the incident.  The crews faced great difficulties in reaching the fire which was 1,000 feet above Loch Lochy, one of the links in the Caledonian Canal.  They had firstly to climb the hill before tackling the fire and the physical effort of that climb left them drained.
Fortunately a sufficient number of men arrived in time to check the fire at a larger than normal fire break.  It was, in fact, a very close run thing and had the attack been successful the potential for further timber loss was immense.
Following the fire I was interveiwed on local radio and explained among other things the difficulties Encountered by the crews in gaining access to the fire.  Within hours Captain John Poland, a Director of a local helicopter company, was knocking on my door inviting me to consider using helicopters for this form of fire fighting.

Thus began an interest in developing the use of helicopters for firefighting operations, which at times became all consuming and has lasted through the 1980's until present day.

(Extract from fire service manual on use of helicopters, written in 1992 by R Gordon)

Helicopter Seminar

The Brigade has for many years been the prime mover in the development of the use of helicopters for fire fighting purposes.  Since the early 1980's we have worked, mainly with PLM Helicopters and the Forestry Commission, to develop various techniques such as water bombing, foam trace and equipment transfer and have become accepted as the main authority on the subject in the British Fire Service.  In recent years the Brigade has recieved numerous enquiries for information from a wide variety of organisations.  With this is mind it was decided to hold a seminar on the subject in the Brigade area and invite representatives from these organisaions to attend.

On the morning, after an official welcome at the Highland Regional Council Headquarters, a practical demonstration of various firefighting techniques took place at Moy, near Inverness.  PLM Helicopters and the Brigade put on a display that highly impressed the observers.  In the afternoon the visitors returned to the Highland Regional Council HQ where the remainder of the day was dedicated to talks by various experts on the subject following by an open forum question and answer ession.  Over 100 people attended the seminar with representatives from the Fire Service, Forestry Commission and private woodlan owners present.  In particular, interest within the Fire Service was high with personnel from places as far apart as Northern Ireland, Wales and Wiltshire in attendance.

The day was a great success appreciated by all who attended and more importantly consolidated the Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service's position as the leading authority in the British Fire Service, on the role of the helicopter for fire fighting purposes.

(PLM Helicopter supplies inflatable dam with water)