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00:00 At 5.20pm, the then Northern Fire Brigade received reports of a fire at Abercaldor Lodge, four miles from Invergarry.
00:09 The Fort Augustus crew were the first on scene and found a well-developed fire, with flames coming through the roof of the isolated guesthouse.
00:18 The officer in charge immediately sent an assistance message requesting further appliances.
00:26 Two appliances were mobilised from Inverness and one from Fort William.
00:30 On their arrival, a reliable water supply for firefighting was established, and firefighters worked for hours to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading.
00:41 Rodney was on the ground floor of the property, working to extinguish sparks of fire, when suddenly, and without warning, the first floor collapsed.
00:52 While the move of attempts were made by Rodney's colleagues to vacate the guesthouse, tragically he succumbed to his injuries.
00:59 Our past helps to shape who we are and who we want to be. I am proud to say that the spirit and bravery of those who have gone before us lives on in those serving today.
01:14 The sacrifice made by Rodney will never be forgotten. His memory lives on as a proud part of our history, and our thoughts will always be with him and his family.
01:34 This is the first plaque in Inverness. It's actually one of over 60 that's been produced throughout the UK.
01:40 The plaques themselves represent fallen firefighters. It was a scheme that was introduced after 2018 to mimic the blue plaques that have been introduced for celebrities on buildings.
01:52 So it's the Union's take on that.
01:54 It's the first plaque in Inverness because obviously it represents fallen firefighters.
01:59 So we're hoping that there's not going to be any in the future, obviously because of what the significance, but it's a massive thing for us to have a place that we can show our respect and pay our tributes to fallen firefighters, especially on our station.
02:18 My name's Alex Ferguson and Rodney was my big cousin. Sadly, I still remember him and I miss him. He was full of life, he was funny, a wee bit older than me, I always looked up to him.
02:33 He had long hair, I remember his platform shoes in the 70s. I would never have been allowed that. He was just good fun, good friend.
02:43 I'd had a couple of careers before then and nothing really fitted for him. When he joined the fire brigade, I knew he'd found his home then. He enjoyed it so much.
02:52 He just thoroughly enjoyed it. I think he enjoyed the camaraderie. You know, you heard him talking about it, it's a bit of a service there, that it's not just a job, it's a vacation really.
03:05 It meant a lot. I found myself getting, even after 43 years, getting quite emotional. I can still picture him, you know, the last time I saw him.
03:16 To have him honoured in that way, it's just really nice. I just wish my aunt and uncle could have seen this as well, because they'd have been so proud of him.