The History of Tayside Fire and Rescue

On 16th May 1975, following local government reorganisation, Tayside Fire Brigade was formed from the Brigades of Angus, Perth & Kinross and Dundee. The new Brigade was now responsible for some 7,770 sq kilometres (3,000 sq miles) of area protecting a population in the region of 416,000.

The Brigade was under the control of Tayside Regional Council until a further local government reorganisation in 1996, when it was placed back into the hands of Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee City Councils. A joint Fire Board made up of representatives from all councils was then formed to administer the Brigade.

With the introduction of the Fire (Scotland) Act in 2005 and the additional responsibilities it contained, the Brigade changed it’s name to Tayside Fire and Rescue, to reflect the wider responsibility we now hold for rescue.

From the days of tin helmets and horse drawn fire pumps, the Fire and Rescue Service has grown and developed into a highly skilled and well equipped organisation which carries out, amongst others, the following duties:

• Community Fire Safety (Home Safety Checks. School Visits)
• Legislative Fire Safety (Offices, shops, hotels, care homes etc)
• Firefighting (From bonfires to buildings on fire)
• Mass Decontamination (After chemical spills or terrorist attacks)
• Road Traffic Emergencies (All types of vehicle collisions)
• Urban Search and Rescue (Rescue from collapsed structures)
• Hazardous Materials Incidents (Chemical spillages)
• Environmental Protection (Minimising pollution)
• Non–Fire Emergencies (Water incidents, persons trapped in machinery)