Our history
Firefighters after the Manchester bomb in 1996Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (then called Greater Manchester Council Fire Service) was formed in 1974 from eight boroughs which covered 500 square miles. The last 33 years has seen us tackle high profile incidents such as the Manchester Bomb in 1996 and the Manchester Airport tragedy in 1985, as well as facing the challenge of promoting fire safety and reducing fire-related crime.
The 70's was a time of expansion and improvement for the brigade. Our first challenge was to standardise equipment and methods and then the building work began! We launched the first of many new fire stations in 1977 and two years later HRH The Prince of Wales visited Swinton to open our new headquarters which contained the country’s first fully computerised Command and Control system.
In the years that have followed, many new Fire Service developments were built including new borough commands, a Technical Services Centre at Leigh and a Training Centre at Thompson Street. We are even due to open a new fire station in Ashton-Under-Lyne this winter!
Incidents
Every day we attend a catalogue of incidents ranging from road traffic collisions to house fires and water rescues to chemical leaks. However, some incidents have stood out over the last 33 years. The 1979 Woolworth’s Fire, the 1984 Massey Street tragedy and the 1985 Manchester Airport disaster considerably reinforced the brigade’s campaigning efforts to improve the safety of upholstered furnishings and aircraft cabins.
We had two major rail fires in two weeks in 1984 and our most serious ship fire on the ‘MV Plainsman’ occurred in 1976.
In 1990, the Strangeways’ prison riot hit the headlines and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were at the forefront putting out different fires throughout the 25 days it lasted.
One of the most unique and challenging incidents though we have attended occurred on Saturday 15th June when an IRA bomb exploded in the heart of Manchester. Prior to the blast, fire crews assisted the Police evacuating 80,000 – 100,000 people from the city centre. When the bomb detonated, over 100 Greater Manchester firefighters battled small fires which broke out and carried out search and rescue operations rescuing people from collapsed and damaged buildings.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Arson campaign posterFire safety
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has always played a significant role in improving community fire safety. We work within schools and throughout the community promoting the fire safety message. We have a history of running successful highly-publicised campaigns on issues such as smoke alarms, arson, attacks on firefighters and smoking.
Celebrating our history
The brigade’s success has not only been in the operational and fire safety fields. In 1983, the Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum at Rochdale opened its doors for the first time offering a range of services such as party visits, exhibitions and shows, lectures, research assistance, film and television work, archive and restoration facilities – all run by volunteers.
Looking forward
Our vision is to make Greater Manchester a safer place by being a modern, community focused and influential Fire and Rescue Service.
In 2006 we attended over 52,000 incidents. In Greater Manchester, most areas receive a rapid response with the first fire engine arriving within seven minutes and the second fire engine within nine minutes. The fast response helps to limit the number of fatalities that occur.
We work in the community carrying out free home fire risk assessments, conducting visits to schools, running high-profile campaigns and advising businesses on fire safety.
We are committed to supporting and working with children and young people in the region through initiatives such as Fire Cadets, Prince's Trust, FIRETEAM and Firefly.