Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service - History

History

The current Fire Service stems from the Northern Area Fire Brigade, formed in 1947 after the passing of the Fire Services Act, and covered the same area the service does today, with the exception of the Western Isles. In 1975, with the reorganisation of local government, the service became the Northern Fire Brigade and gained the Western Isles as part of its catchment area. In 1983 another name change was invoked, this time to Highland and Islands Fire Brigade, to more accurately reflect the area which the Brigade served. The current name, Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, was adopted in the summer of 2005, as a result of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. As well as the name change, for the first time in the service's history, a Gaelic motto, dìon is freagair, or "protect and respond," was sanctioned.