IT was a proud day for Chagford’s hardworking fire crew on Tuesday when their brand new fire station was officially declared open.

Speeches by dignitaries followed by the unveiling of a plaque and then musical pomp and ceremony was provided by the fire service band.

Those gathered then watched an impressive performance of a different kind as the ten-strong crew of the station shot up ladders on their new control tower to demonstrate their firefighting abilities with the latest equipment.

Watch manager Mark Shears, who leads the team of nine on-call firefighters, said they were delighted with their new larger premises, which replace their old fire station over the road.

That will now be demolished to create a wider access road to the new Bellacouch Meadows housing estate beside it.

The fire station has been built by housebuilders CG Fry & Son as part of the development of 93 houses at no cost to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service or taxpayers. It is the first new station the service has built for on-call crew in more than ten years. It is right opposite the new Chagford Primary School and the headteacher was present at the ceremony.

Mark said: ‘It’s just brilliant. It is a really fit for purpose fire station for a growing community, with the new primary school and houses it is getting bigger and we now have a fire station to match.’

The new station has room for their fire engine as well as the station’s Land Rover and a further vehicle. Previously there was only just room for the fire engine to be stored inside.

The new station has also improved the training drill for the fire crew, including the tower on which the crew demonstrated using hoses with compressed foam used to fight fires without water. The new station has a tank which allows the compressed air foam to be used in practices.

The crew, who all live or work in Chagford, moved into their new station at the beginning of the month.

All but one of the firefighters lives in Chagford and the other one works there during the day.

They are paid a retainer to be on call for a certain number of hours each week.

There are currently five vacancies for on-call firefighters at the station.

‘The lads here work very hard,’ said Mark. ‘We are not a full house, we have got five vacancies so we have done well to keep this appliance on call. It means everyone working harder.’

The ceremony on Tuesday morning came after a busy night for the crew, with callouts to a bonfire close to a barn late on Monday night and another early morning on Tuesday to help an ambulance crew gain accesss to an address behind a locked gate.

In a return to the station a year after she cut the first sod for the project, fire authority chair Sara Randall Johnson joined chief fire officer Lee Howell in unveiling the plaque.

She said: ‘It isn’t every day that we open a fire station so this is a really special day. Fire stations are often at the heart of their community and this one certainly is.

‘The team here represents everything that is strong and good about community life.’

She added: ‘One of our challenges as a community service is how we collaborate and this is an example of a successful collaboration with CG Fry.

‘It is great to see generations of Frys here today.’