Oban Community Fire Station is celebrating its 20th birthday.
To mark the occasion, the station is inviting everyone to its family open day this Saturday, November 18, from 1pm to 4pm.
Emergency crews at the Soroba Road base will be demonstrating their skills, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service firefighting techniques.
You will also be able to watch firefighters’ interactive water rescue demonstration, see how they help remove casualties from cars, watch a height rescue and meet Coorie, Scotland’s Urban Search and Rescue dog and handler Gary Carroll who have recently returned from Morocco where they were on international rescue duties.
Partner agencies the Scottish Ambulance Service, Police Scotland, HM Coastguard and RNLI will also be there, as well as other groups who support their work.
Funds raised on the day will be split between The Fire Fighters Charity and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.
Oban Station Commander Rob Taylor said: “Communities of Oban and surrounding areas are incredibly important to us and are warmly invited to come along to our open day. Crews and agency partners are excited to welcome all visitors.
“We have a full afternoon planned. Enjoy interactive games, meeting crews, trying our Fit Like a Firefighter test, tour our fire appliances, meet our recruitment teams and join in with challenges and celebrations to mark this milestone event.”
In its two-decade history, the station has seen its share of incidents large and small, changes in fire appliances and firefighting technology, a height appliance, introduction of water rescue and, significantly, changing from Strathclyde Fire Brigade to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on April 1 2013.
About six firefighters working in Oban, full-time and/or on-call, have been based there since it opened, including Crew Commander Robert MacColl, Firefighter Kerrie Galbraith, Crew Commander Dougie Black and Watch Commander Colin Campbell.
It was the tragic Esplanade Hotel fire 50 years ago that led to the development of the town’s first community fire station in Sinclair Drive but it was only part-time. Before that, Oban’s retained fire station was in Shore Street.
When the Soroba Road station opened, it finally gave 24/7 cover 365 days a year. It now has two appliances, one for full-time crews and the other used by on-call firefighters responding to pagers.
The station is also used as a training centre for retained crews around Oban and islands, dedicated to serving communities and keeping them safe.
Caption: Firefighter Ben Rowe, Firefighter Kerrie Galbraith, Watch Commander Stuart Allen and Watch Commander Colin Campbell just some of the crew based at Oban Community Fire Station in Soroba Road