Bellshill part time firemen will be disbanded on April 28 unless two local M.P.'s, Mr John Timmons, Bothwell and Mr James Dempsey, Coatbridge and Airdrie, can persuade the Secretary of State for Scotland to change his mind.
Mr Maclay has said he is not prepared to overrule the decision of Lanarkshire joint fire board committee.
Mr Timmons said last night:- "In his letter the Secretary of State gives three main reasons for refusing to interfere. He says that regular firemen from Motherwell can travel to Bellshill in four minutes, and that on many occasions they arrive at the fire first as they travel in an enclosed van and dress on the way.
The third reason is the increasing difficulty of finding men for the retained service".
Mr Dempsey said:- " In answer to the first part I had a police car travel from Motherwell fire station to Kenilworth Crescent, Bellshill. The mileage was 3.7 and not 2.8 as claimed by the firemaster".
"The journey took nine minutes, not four as stated, despite the fact that the traffic lights at Motherwell Cross were in the police car's favour".
"The question of finding replacements occurred only in Cambuslang where there was a major development. That has never been the case in Bellshill. It is obvious that if Bellshill were to be closed there would not be sufficient fire coverage for the area. We intend to urge the Secretary of State to keep the station open.
(The Glasgow Herald, Monday 16th April, 1962. Page 3.)

Firemaster Opens Bellshill Station

Over 200 guests and members of Lanarkshire Fire Service attended the official opening of Bellshill’s new £145,000 fire station last Friday.
Performing the opening ceremony was Firemaster of Lanarkshire Fire Brigade, Mr John Stewart, who will retire when regionalisation comes into operation next month.
The new station, situated on Old Edinburgh Road at Righead, has four fire engines and will be staffed by a total of 28 firemen, working on three shifts.
The station will serve an area extending from Tannochside to Newhouse, and will provide extra cover for Newarthill and Carfin areas, which currently come under the umbrella of Motherwell Fire Service.
The site for the new complex was chosen because of it’s proximity to the main motorways, which means that appliances can reach a fire much quicker than the Hamilton based appliances which formerly served the area.
Training facilities at Bellshill’s new station include a 40 foot tower at the rear of the station – which can also be used for drying hoses – and a lecture room.
Although the station did not officially open until last week, it has been operational since December last year.
After Friday’s opening ceremony, a dedication was undertaken by the Rev. Arthur F. S. Kent minister of Bellshill’s West Church.
<PHOTO> Pictured above, Mr Stewart delivers his opening speech. Below one of four engines (SVD381M) drives through the white ribbon to mark the opening. (none of these photos are on this site)
(The Bellshill Speaker, Friday, April 18,1975. Page 1.)

Life Saving partnership in Fire Stations
Paramedics with the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) are to be based in three Strathclyde fire stations on a trial basis.
The 12-month trial will help the SAS to meet its target of attending top priority Category A calls within eight minutes. Under the scheme, SAS Rapid Response crews will share washroom and other facilities with firefighters based in three Lanarkshire fire stations – Hamilton, Lanark and Bellshill. (11/8/2006)

?Opening Actual 7/11/1974 Official 11/4/1975?

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