History of fire brigades in the United Kingdom
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The history of fire brigades in the United Kingdom is complex due to many re-organisations having taken place.
The first fire engines and crews were provided by voluntary bodies, parish authorities or insurance companies. The creation of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade by statute in 1866 saw the beginning of a modern local authority fire brigade. In the decades that followed the new local government bodies created by nineteenth century legislation took over responsibility for fire-fighting.
The fire service was nationalised in 1941, but returned to local authority control in 1948. Since then there has been a gradual process of amalgamations so that the number of brigades has decreased greatly.
Contents |
[edit] Naming of brigades
Prior to 1974 all but one of the fire brigades in England and Wales used the term "Fire Brigade", the exception was the City of Salford, which called itself "Fire Department". After 1974 All but two of the new authorities adopted the term "Fire Service", the two exceptions being Avon County and County Cleveland. Most of the older County brigades who came though the reorganisation with little change also changed their names to "Fire Service", the only brigades not to adopt the term were London, Cornwall, East Sussex, Somerset, West Sussex and Wiltshire, all of which still retained the name "Fire Brigade". More recently, almost all fire authorities have changed their name to "Fire and Rescue Service", the only exceptions to this are, Cleveland, Cornwall County and London who still use "Fire Brigade" and West Midlands Fire Service.
[edit] Fire brigades in England and Wales
Prior to 1938, there were some 1600 local fire brigades in operation. The Fire Brigades Act 1938 constituted the councils of all county boroughs and county districts (municipal boroughs, urban and rural districts) as fire authorities. The councils were required to provide the services for their borough or district of such a fire brigade and of such fire engines, appliances and equipment as may be necessary to meet efficiently all normal requirements.[1]
During World War II, on 18 August 1941, the local authority fire brigades in Great Britain were combined into a National Fire Service (NFS). After the war, the government decided to better organise the UK fire service and passed the Fire Services Act 1947.
The 1947 Act transferred fire-fighting functions from the National Fire Service to fire brigades maintained by the councils of counties and county boroughs. The transfer took place in 1948. It also set down what each local authority must do in regard to having a fire brigade. Each local authority was responsible for:
- Providing a fire brigade
- The training of a fire brigade
- The receiving of calls
Each county council and county borough council were required to maintain a brigade, although they were allowed to voluntarily combine with a neighbouring fire authority.[2]
In the 1960s there were several changes to local government and some changes took place within the fire brigades but in the main they remained as created in 1948 until 1974. The Local Government Act 1972 created metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, which were to be fire authorities.
The full list of the brigades formed under the 1947 Fire Services Act is given below along with the 1960s changes and the result of the 1974 Local Authority re-organisation:
[edit] Fire brigades 1948 - 1974
| Brigade | Notes | Changes in the 1974 reorganisation |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey FB | Formed part of Gwynedd FS | |
| Barnsley County Borough FB | Merged to form South Yorkshire FS | |
| Barrow-in-Furness County Borough FB | Merged to form Cumbria FS | |
| City of Bath FB | Merged to form Avon County FB | |
| Bedfordshire FB | Luton County Borough formed own brigade in 1964 | No change |
| Berkshire & Reading FB | Combined brigade for Administrative County of Berkshire, Reading County Borough | Became Royal Berkshire FS |
| Birkenhead County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| City of Birmingham FB | Merged to form West Midlands FS | |
| Blackburn County Borough FB | Merged into Lancashire County FS | |
| Blackpool County Borough FB | Merged into Lancashire County FS | |
| Bolton County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Bootle County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| Bournemouth County Borough FB | Merged into Dorset FS | |
| City of Bradford FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| Breconshire & Radnorshire FB | Combined brigade for two administrative counties | Split between Gwent FS and Powys FS, |
| Brighton County Borough FB | Merged into East Sussex FB | |
| City of Bristol FB | Merged to form Avon County FB | |
| Buckinghamshire FB | No change | |
| Burnley County Borough FB | Merged into Lancashire County FS | |
| Burton upon Trent County Borough FB | Merged into Staffordshire FS | |
| Bury County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Caernarvonshire FB | Formed part of Gwynedd FS | |
| Cambridgeshire & Isle of Ely FB | Combined brigade for administrative counties of Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely until 1965, when Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely county council formed |
Merged to form Cambridgeshire FS |
| City of Cardiff FB | Formed part of South Glamorgan FS | |
| City of Carlisle FB | Merged to form Cumbria FS | |
| Carmarthenshire & Cardiganshire FB | Combined brigade for two administrative counties | Formed part of Dyfed FS |
| Cheshire FB | Lost area to Greater Manchester, Merseyside FS | |
| City of Chester FB | Merged into Cheshire FS | |
| Cornwall FB | No change (later became Cornwall County FB) | |
| City of Coventry | Merged to form West Midlands FS | |
| Croydon County Borough FB | Merged into London FB | |
| Cumberland FB | Merged to form Cumbria FS | |
| Darlington County Borough FB | Merged into County Durham FS | |
| Denbighshire & Montgomeryshire FB | Combined brigade for two administrative counties | Split between Clwyd FS and Gwynedd FS |
| Derby County Borough FB | Merged into Derbyshire FS | |
| Derbyshire FB | Absorbed Derby County Borough FB | |
| Devon FB | Absorbed Exeter and Plymouth | |
| Dewsbury County Borough FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| Doncaster County Borough FB | Merged to form South Yorkshire FS | |
| Dorset FB | No change | |
| Dudley County Borough FB | Took in areas form Staffordshire FB 1967 | Merged to form West Midlands FS |
| Durham FB | Lost areas to Hartlepool CB 1967, Teesside CB 1968 | Lost some area to County Cleveland FS |
| East Ham County Borough FB | absorbed by London FB 1965 | |
| East Riding of Yorkshire FB | Area split to form North Yorkshire FS and Humberside FS | |
| East Sussex FB | Lost some area to West Sussex FS, gained Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings | |
| Eastbourne County Borough FB | Merged into East Sussex FS | |
| Essex FB | Lost some area to London FB 1965. | Absorbed Southend |
| City of Exeter FB | Merged into Devon FS | |
| Flintshire FB | Formed part of Clwyd FS | |
| Glamorgan FB | Split between Mid, South and West Glamorgan FS's | |
| City of Gloucester FB | Merged into Gloucestershire FS | |
| Gloucestershire | Lost area to Avon County FS | |
| Great Yarmouth County Borough FB | Merged into Norfolk FS | |
| Grimsby County Borough FB | Merged to form Humberside FS | |
| Halifax County Borough FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| Hampshire FB | Gaoned Portsmouth, Southampton, lost Christchurch area to Dorset FS | |
| Hastings County Borough FB | Merged into East Sussex FS | |
| Herefordshire FB | Merged to form Hereford & Worcester FS | |
| Hertfordshire FB | Lost area to London FB, gained Potters Bar from Middlesex 1965 | No Change |
| Holland FB County Lincolnshire | Merged to form Lincolnshire FS | |
| Huddersfield County Borough FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| Hull County Borough FB | Merged to form Humberside FS | |
| Huntingdonshire FB | Merged with Soke of Peterborough FB 1965 |
(Cambridgeshire FS) |
| Huntingdon & Peterborough FB | Formed 1965 from soke of Peterborough FB and Huntingdonshire FB |
Cambridgeshire FS |
| Isle of Wight FB | No change | |
| Kent FB | Combined brigade for Canterbury county borough and administrative county of Kent. Lost area to London FB 1965 |
No further change |
| Kesteven County FB, Lincolnshire | Merged to form Lincolnshire FS | |
| Lancashire County FB | Lost area to Cumbria FS, Greater Manchester FS and Merseyside FS. | |
| City of Leeds FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| City of Leicester FB | Merged to form Leicestershire FS | |
| Leicestershire & Rutland FB | Combined brigade for two administrative counties | Merged to form Leicestershire FS |
| City of Lincoln FB | Merged to form Lincolnshire FS | |
| Lindsey County FB, Lincolnshire | Merged to form Lincolnshire FS | |
| City of Liverpool FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| London FB | Covered County of London until 1965, Greater London thereafter |
No further change |
| Luton County Borough FB | Separated from Bedfordshire FB 1964 | Bedfordshire FS |
| City of Manchester FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Merionethshire FB | Formed part of Gwynedd FS | |
| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough FB | Formed part of Mid Glamorgan FS | |
| Middlesbrough County Borough FB | Became part of Teeside County Borough FB in 1968 | Merged to form Tyne and Wear FS |
| Middlesex FB | Abolished 1965 to London FB except for Potters Bar to Hertfordshire FB, Staines and Sunbury to Surrey FB |
|
| Monmouthshire FB | Formed part of Gwent FS | |
| Newcastle & Gateshead Joint FB | Combined brigade for two county boroughs | Merged to form Tyne & Wear FS |
| Newport County Borough FB | Formed part of Gwent FS | |
| Norfolk FB | ||
| North Riding of Yorkshire FB | Lost area to Teesside County Borough FB in 1968 | Merged to form Cleveland FS |
| Northampton County Borough FB | Merged into Northamptonshire FS | |
| Northamptonshire FB | ||
| Northumberland FB | Merged to form Tyne & Wear FS | |
| City of Norwich FB | Merged into Norfolk FS | |
| City of Nottingham FB | Merged into Nottinghamshire FS | |
| Nottinghamshire FB | ||
| Oldham County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| City of Oxford FB | Merged into Oxfordshire FS | |
| Oxfordshire FB | ||
| Pembrokeshire FB | Formed part of Dyfed FS | |
| Soke of Peterborough FB | Merged into Huntingdon & Peterborough FB 1965 | Merged to form Cambridge FS |
| City of Plymouth FB | Merged into Devon FS | |
| City of Portsmouth FB | Merged into Hampshire FS | |
| Preston County Borough FB | Merged into Lancashire County FS | |
| Rochdale County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Rotherham County Borough FB | Merged to form South Yorkshire FS | |
| City of Salford FD | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| St Helens County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| City of Sheffield FB | Merged to form South Yorkshire FS | |
| Shropshire FB | No change | |
| Smethwick & West Bromwich Joint FB | Combined brigade for two county boroughs. Abolished 1967: Became Warley County Borough FB |
|
| Solihull County Borough FB | Separated from Warwickshire FB 1964 | Merged to form West Midlands FS |
| Somerset FB | Lost area to Avon FS | |
| South Shields County Borough FB | Merged to form Tyne & Wear FS | |
| Southampton County Borough FB | Renamed Southampton City FB 1964 | To Hampshire FB |
| Southend County Borough FB | Merged into Essex FS | |
| Southport County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| Staffordshire FB | Lost area to various County Boroughs in 1967. | Gained Stoke on Trent, lost area to West Midlands |
| Stockport County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Stoke-on-Trent County Borough FB | Merged into Staffordshire FS | |
| Suffolk & Ipswich FB | Combined brigade for administrative counties of East Suffolk and West Suffolk and county borough of Ipswich |
Merged to form Suffolk FS |
| Sunderland County Borough FB | Merged to form Tyne & Wear FS | |
| Surrey FB | Lost area to London FB in 1965. | No further change |
| Swansea County Borough FB | Formed part of West Glamorgan FS | |
| Teesside County Borough FB | Formed from Middlesborough County Borough FB and parts of Durham FB, Yorkshire North Riding FB 1968 |
Cleveland FS |
| Tynemouth County Borough FB | Merged to form Tyne & Wear FS | |
| Wakefield County Borough FB | Merged to form West Yorkshire FS | |
| Wallasey County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| Warley County Borough FB | Formed 1967 from the separation of Smethwick & West Bromwich Joint FB | West Midlands FS |
| Warrington County Borough FB | Merged to form Merseyside FS | |
| Warwickshire FB | Solihull formed own brigade 1964 | Lost area to West Midlands FS |
| West Bromwich County Borough FB | Formed 1967 from the separation of Smethwick & West Bromwich Joint FB | West Midlands FS |
| West Ham County Borough FB | Merged into London FB 1965 | |
| West Hartlepool County Borough FB | Became part of Hartlepool County Borough FB 1967 | Merged to form Cleveland FS |
| West Riding of Yorkshire FB | West Yorkshire FS with losses to Cumbria FS, Humberside FS, Lancashire County FS and South Yorkshire FS | |
| West Sussex FB | Gained area from East Sussex | |
| Westmorland FB | Merged to form Cumbria FS | |
| Wigan County Borough FB | Merged to form Greater Manchester FS | |
| Wiltshire FB | No change | |
| Wolverhampton County Borough FB | Merged to form West Midlands FS | |
| Worcester City and County FB | Combined brigade for county borough of Worcester and administrative county of Worcestershire |
Merged to form Hereford & Worcester FS |
| City of York FB | Merged to form North Yorkshire FS |
[edit] England 1974 on
From 1974 each of the new county councils and the Greater London Council maintained a separate fire brigade. In 1986 the GLC and the six metropolitan county councils were abolished. This led to the establishment of fire and civil defence authorities which were joint boards of London and metropolitan borough councils. Local government reform in the 1990s created a number of unitary authorities and accordingly combined fire authorities constituted in a number of counties.
| Brigade | Notes | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Avon FS | Since 1996 administered by combined fire authority (CFA) of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire councils | Renamed Avon Fire & Rescue Service 2004[3] |
| Bedfordshire FS | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Bedfordshire, Luton councils | Renamed Bedfordshire & Luton Fire & Rescue Service |
| Royal Berkshire FS | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of six unitary authorities | Now Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service |
| Buckinghamshire FS | Since 1997 administered by Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes FA | Now Buckinghamshire FRS |
| Cambridgeshire FS | Since 1998 Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Fire Authority | Now Cambridgeshire FRS |
| Cheshire FS | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Cheshire, Halton, Warrington councils | Now Cheshire FRS |
| Cleveland FB | Since 1996 administered by a CFA of four unitary authorities | |
| Cornwall County FB | ||
| Cumbria FS | Now Cumbria FRS | |
| Derbyshire FS | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Derby, Derbyshire councils | Now Derbyshire FRS |
| Devon FS | From 1998 administered by CFA of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay councils | Became part of Devon & Somerset FRS 2007 |
| Devon & Somerset FRS | Formed 2007 by merger of Devon and Somerset. Administered by CFA of Devon, Somerset County Councils, |
|
| Dorset FS | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Dorset County and Bournemouth and Poole Borough Councils | Now Dorset FRS |
| Durham County FB | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council | Renamed County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade 1992, County Durham & Darlington FRS 2003[4] |
| East Sussex FB | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Brighton and Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council |
Now East Sussex FRS |
| Essex FB | Since 1998 administered CFA of Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock Borough Councils | Renamed Essex County FRS 1985[5] |
| Gloucestershire FS | Now Gloucestershire FRS | |
| Greater Manchester County FS | Since 1986 administered by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority | Now Greater Manchester FRS |
| Hampshire FS | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils | Now Hampshire FRS |
| Hereford and Worcester FS | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Herefordshire, Worcestershire councils | Now Hereford and Worcester FRS |
| Hertfordshire FS | Now Hertfordshire FRS | |
| Humberside FB | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of four unitary authorities | Now Humberside FRS |
| Isle of Wight FS | Now Isle of Wight FRS | |
| Kent FB | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Kent County Council and Medway Borough Council | Now Kent FRS |
| Lancashire FS | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool Borough Councils |
Now Lancashire FRS |
| Leicestershire FS | Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, Rutland District Council |
Now Leicestershire FRS |
| Lincolnshire FS | Now Lincolnshire FRS | |
| London FB | Administered by the Greater London Council until 1986, the London Fire & Civil Defence Authority 1986 - 2000 and by the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority since 2000 |
|
| Merseyside County FB | Now Merseyside FRS | |
| Norfolk FS | Now Norfolk FRS | |
| North Yorkshire FS | Since 1996 administered by a CFA of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council | Now North Yorkshire FRS |
| Northamptonshire | Now Northamptonshire FRS | |
| Northumberland | Now Northumberland County Council FRS | |
| Nottinghamshire FS | Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council |
Now Nottinghamshire FRS |
| Oxfordshire FS | Now Oxfordshire FRS | |
| Salop FS - renamed Shropshire FS 1980 | Since 1998 administered by Shropshire & Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority | Now Shropshire FRS |
| Somerset FB | Became part of Devon & Somerset FRS 2007 | |
| Staffordshire FS | Administered by Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Fire Authority since 1997 | Now Staffordshire FRS |
| South Yorkshire FS | From 1986 administered by South Yorkshire Fire & Civil Defence Authority renamed South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority 2004[6] |
Now South Yorkshire FRS |
| Suffolk FS | Now Suffolk FRS | |
| Surrey FS | Now Surrey FRS | |
| Tyne & Wear Metropolitan FB | From 1986 administered by Tyne & Wear Fire & Civil Defence Authority, renamed Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority 2005[7] |
Now Tyne & Wear FRS |
| Warwickshire FS | Now Warwickshire FRS | |
| West Midlands FS | Since 1986 administered by West Midlands Fire & Rescue Authority | |
| West Yorkshire FS | Administered by West Yorkshire Fire & Civil Defence Authority from 1986 renamed West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority 2005[8] |
Now West Yorkshire FRS |
| West Sussex FB | Now West Sussex FRS | |
| Wiltshire FS | Since 1998 administered by Wiltshire & Swindon Fire Authority | Now Wiltshire FRS |
[edit] Wales 1974 - 1996
In 1974 Wales was divided into eight counties, each with a brigade.
| Brigade | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Clwyd FS | Part of North Wales FRS |
| Dyfed FB | Mid and West Wales FS |
| Gwent FB | South Wales FS |
| Gwynedd FS | North Wales FS |
| Mid Glamorgan FS | South Wales FS |
| South Glamorgan FS | South Wales FS |
| West Glamorgan FB | Mid and West Wales FS |
[edit] Wales 1996 on
The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 replaced the eight counties with unitary authorities. The authorities are grouped into three areas for the provision of fire and rescue services. Fire services are administered by fire and rescue authorities consisting of councillors from each of the councils in the area.
| Brigade | Principal areas |
|---|---|
| North Wales FS, renamed North Wales FRS |
Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham |
| Mid and West Wales FB, renamed Mid and West Wales FRS in 2003[9] |
Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea |
| South Wales FS renamed South Wales FRS 2004[10] |
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan |
[edit] Fire brigades in Scotland
[edit] 1948 - 1975
The 1947 Act also reorganised fire services in Scotland. Section 36 obliged county councils, corporations of counties of cities and town councils of large burghs to form combined fire brigades. Schedule 4 set the combined areas of the new brigades.
| Name of Combined Area | Counties and burghs comprised in area |
|---|---|
| Lanark | The county of Lanark and the burghs of Airdrie, Coatbridge, Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw, and Rutherglen. |
| Central | The counties of Clackmannan, Dunbarton and Stirling, and the burghs of Clydebank, Dumbarton, Falkirk and Stirling. |
| Western | The counties of Argyll, Bute and Renfrew, and the burghs of Greenock, Paisley and Port Glasgow. |
| South Western | The counties of Ayr, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright and Wigtown, and the burghs of Ayr, Dumfries and Kilmarnock. |
| South Eastern | The counties of Berwick, East Lothian, Midlothian, Peebles, Roxburgh, Selkirk and West Lothian, and the county of the city of Edinburgh. |
| Fife | The county of Fife and the burghs of Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. |
| Perth and Kinross | The joint county of Perth and Kinross, and the burgh of Perth. |
| Angus | The county of Angus, the burgh of Arbroath and the county of the city of Dundee. |
| North Eastern | The counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine, and the joint county of Moray and Nairn, and the county of the city of Aberdeen. |
| Northern | The counties of Caithness, Inverness, Orkney, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland and Zetland, and the burgh of Inverness. |
The County of the City of Glasgow continued to maintain its own fire brigade, so that there were 11 brigades in all.
[edit] 1975 - 1996
The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 reorganised local government from 1975. Counties and burghs were abolished, and fire authorities were to be the new regional or islands area councils. Some of the new administrative areas were grouped, and 8 brigades were formed in all.
| Brigade formed in 1975 | Local government areas | Pre-1975 brigades |
|---|---|---|
| Central Region FB | Central Region | Part of Central Area FB, part of Perth & Kinross FB, Bo'ness from South Eastern Area FB |
| Dumfries and Galloway FB | Dumfries and Galloway Region | Most of South Western Area FB |
| Fife FB | Fife Region | Identical to Fife Area FB |
| Grampian Region FB | Grampian Region | Most of North Eastern Area FB |
| Lothians & Border FB | Lothian, Border Regions | South Eastern Area FB (less Bo'ness) |
| Northern FB Renamed Highlands and Islands FB 1983 |
Highland Region, Orkney, Shetland Islands, Western Isles Areas | Northern Area FB, part of North Eastern Area FB |
| Strathclyde FB | Strathclyde Region | City of Glasgow, Lanark Area FB, part of Central Area FB, part of South Western Area FB, part of Western Area FB |
| Tayside FB | Tayside Region | Angus Area FB, most of Perth & Kinross FB |
[edit] 1996 on
Local government in Scotland was again reorganised in 1996 by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. This Act replaced the regions with unitary "area councils", while leaving the islands areas unchanged. The number of fire brigades remained at eight, although booundaries were realigned as groupings as of the new authorities. Minor name-changes also took place.
| Brigade formed in 1996 | Local government areas | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Central Scotland FB | Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling | Renamed Central Scotland FRS 2004 |
| Fife FRS | Fife | |
| Grampian FRS | Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray | |
| Highlands and Islands FB | Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Renamed Highlands and Islands FRS 2005 |
| Lothian & Border FRS | East Lothian, Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, West Lothian | |
| Strathclyde FRS | Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire | |
| Tayside FB | Angus, City of Dundee, Perth and Kinross | Renamed Tayside FRS 2005[11] |
[edit] Fire brigades in Northern Ireland
As in Great Britain, there were numerous local authority fire brigades in Northern Ireland until the Second World War. On March 1, 1942 all brigades were nationalised by the Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) (NI) Act 1942 as the National Fire Service (Northern Ireland).
On January 1, 1948, the Fire Services Act (Northern Ireland) 1947 came into effect. This provided for the establishment of four brigades in the province:
- Belfast Fire Brigade
- Northern Fire Authority, based in Ballymena
- Southern Fire Authority, based in Portadown
- Western Fire Authority, based in Derry
[edit] Northern Ireland Fire Brigade 1950 - 2006
The three regional brigades were short-lived and on January 1, 1950 they were amalgamated into the Northern Ireland Fire Authority.
In 1973 the Belfast Fire Brigade and NIFA were amalgamated into a single Fire Authority for Northern Ireland.
[edit] Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service
On July 1, 2006 the fire authority was replaced with a Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Board, with the brigade adopting the title Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Fire Brigades Act, 1938 (1 & 2 Geo. 6.) C. 72
- ^ Fire Services Act 1947, (10 & 11 Geo. 6.) C. 41
- ^ History of Avon Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 4, 2008
- ^ History, County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 4, 2008
- ^ Back to our roots, Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 4, 2008
- ^ Fire Authority, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ History of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ Fire Authority, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, records, Archives Network Wales, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ History, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ The History of Tayside Fire and Rescue, accessed January 5, 2008
- ^ About NIFRS, accessed January 5, 2008
- His Majesties Government (1947). Fire Services Act 1947. HMSO.
- Various. A History of the British Fire Service. Fire Service College Library, Moreton in Marsh.
