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Ever since primitive man discovered that fire was good for cooking and warmth, he also found it could be a dangerous force. Unfortunately it would be a long time before fire and rescue services came into being. 

Great Fire of London (1666)

Whole towns and villages frequently burned, most notably in the Great Fire of London (1666). The fire destroyed more than 80% of the city, including 13,000 houses and 89 churches, hastening the introduction of the fire engine in Britain.

The first organised fire brigades were operated by insurance companies and by the 18th century could be found in many towns and cities. These Insurance Office brigades were mainly intended to reduce the losses of the parent company by quickly extinguishing fires in buildings, and there was great rivalry between the different services.

Municipal Fire Brigades (1800)

It was not until the 1800s that properly constituted, municipal fire brigades began to be provided by local authorities, starting with Edinburgh in 1824 and Manchester two years later. The firefighters were generally part-time volunteers, whilst the engines in use at this time were hand-operated manual pumps pulled by horses. At this time, it was still usual for volunteers to help at fires by manning pumps in return for a small payment and plenty of liquid refreshment!

The First Steam-powered Fire Engine (1829)

Fire engines in those days were merely for putting water onto fires, as crews seldom arrived at the scene quickly enough to carry out a rescue. This would change after the 1830s with the introduction of the wheeled fire escape ladder, originally stationed on street corners but eventually carried on the back of fire engines so that firefighters could immediately recued trapped persons on arrival at a fire. The first steam-powered fire engine had been invented in England in 1829, but due to scepticism and inadequate water supplies, they did not become widespread until more than thirty years later.

Breathing Apparatus (1880)

The service steadily improved its equipment and skills. Breathing apparatus appeared from the 1880s, originally in the form of a smoke helmet, with a tube to supply the wearer with clean air from outside the building on fire. Motorised fire engines were first used from 1901. These steadily became larger and more powerful and, by about 1920, most large towns had stopped using horses to pull fire engines.

The bigger brigades usually formed part of the police force, thus many Victorian fire and police stations were in the same building. The firefighters usually worked very long hours and were required to live at the fire station with their families. The most common method of turning out the brigade in this period was the street fire alarm box, as few people had access to a telephone.

Greater Co-ordination between Brigades (1920/30's)

The 1920s and 1930s saw an increase in professionalism, with greater co-ordination between brigades and the need to cope with new hazards such as petroleum, plastics and aviation.

Towards the end of the 1930s came the threat of war and with it the fear of aerial bombardment. To deal with this risk, the government introduced an Auxiliary Fire Service, comprising large numbers of volunteer firefighters with pumps and equipment to serve in every town alongside the regular fire crews. When the Second World War did break out in 1939, and the Blitz bombing raids began the following year, both AFS and regular firefighters dealt with a great number of major incidents in our large towns, with many firefighters being killed and injured. The situation was so intense that - from 1941 to 1948 - all the fire services in Britain were placed under government control, forming a single unit known as the National Fire Service.

Fire Services Act 1947

After the war, the British fire service was rebuilt as a modern fire and rescue organisation, working to national standards laid down in the Fire Services Act 1947. Firefighters saw an increase in special services, such as road traffic accidents, floodings and other non-fire emergencies.

Stringent Fire Safety Laws (1950/60/70)

A series of disastrous fires in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s led to the introduction of stringent fire safety laws in factories, offices and hotels, which were enforced by local fire brigades. At the same time, domestic fire risks such as coal fires, paraffin heaters and flammable upholstery were gradually eliminated through better housing and ever-tighter legislative measures but community fire safety still remains an important role for the modern firefighter.

The service continued to make technical advancements, developing new procedures and equipment to deal with ever-changing risks such as high-rise buildings, motorway traffic and chemical spillages. The opening of a state-of-the-art, centralised Fire Service College in Gloucestershire raised the standard of officer-training in the UK and enhanced the reputation of the British fire service. In 1974, a major reorganisation of local government services reduced the total number of fire authorities in the country, with the formation of larger, metropolitan authorities such as Greater Manchester.

World-changing Events in New York (2001)

The world-changing events in New York in September 2001 heralded a new awareness of the threat of terrorism and its possibly-devastating effects on the urban community. Thanks to its tried and tested organisation, communications and technical skills, the fire and rescue service is naturally at the forefront of protecting citizens from the effects of such incidents.

A new Fire and Rescue Act in 2004 recognised such advances made in the profession since the end of World War II and paved the way for a modernised service. At the same time, major investment by central government in vehicles, equipment and training also means that the service is completely ready for whatever it may be called upon to do. The humanitarian response by British firefighter teams to disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti helps to enhance and fine-tune their search-and-rescue skills.  

Today, the British fire and rescue service is amongst the most professional and reliable in the world, thanks to the unique combination of a proud, pioneering history and a philosophy of continual improvement and advancement.

Last update: 13/06/2011 09:12:01