John McCabe BEM, a founding firefighter from the original Glengormley Fire Station in 1949, shares his memories from his time as a firefighter at Glengormley Station's 75th anniversary celebrations.
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00:00When you come down on Thursday night, they're recruiting for a retained fire station.
00:06So, on the Thursday night, we all met and the officer in charge was Mr. Samuel Moore.
00:20He was known as, in those days, he wasn't a station officer but he was up to the station officer rank.
00:28He came along and that was the first night.
00:33Then, after a period of time, we were issued with the tunics, axe, helmet and waterproof boots.
00:44Well, it's in those days.
00:47That was from then on.
00:54Seven of us all together had accumulated and went to Mosley Mill.
01:04Mosley Mill, in those days, was a big, big open yard.
01:08That's where we got permission from Mr. Campbell to pitch our ladders and train down at Mosley Mill.
01:17Thereafter, that was the situation.
01:20So, it just grew from then onwards.
01:29That was it.
01:30So, there was very few calls in those days.
01:38The method of call was a siren, and that was when a fire occurred, it was radioed through to Lisburn, however,
01:48and they had the Blenheim-Gormley Fire Station was always manned and it sounded the siren.
01:55We were reported down to the station.
01:58The station, those days, was the old timber and corrugated hut at the corner of Portland Avenue and Kermunny Road.
02:09It just grew from then onwards, and that was the situation.
02:16There, after a period of time, then as time grew on,
02:25I had to leave the, more or less, the retained service
02:33because I went full-time as a works fire service and short-brows and horns fire service.
02:43So, from then onwards, I was there a couple of years,
02:48and then there was vacancies in the Belfast Fire Brigade for drivers and for tradesmen.
02:56It was a self-contained unit, the Belfast Fire Brigade,
03:00and I got down there, and I was done with training there,
03:07and after a period of time, I was tested for, after some training, for a heavy driver,
03:15and I developed from then onwards, and that was it,
03:23and I remained there to spend 30 years with the Northern Iron ...
03:29Northern Iron ...
03:32Well, the Belfast Fire Brigade and the Northern Iron Fire Authority.
03:36In 1972, it was amalgamated, and I spent 30 years there with them
03:43and finished my career with them after 30 years there,
03:48and I was awarded the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1984 for distinguished service,
03:58and that was the situation, and I was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
04:07with the Northern Iron Fire Service as well.