History of fire brigades in the United Kingdom

Last updated

Pump showing the old North Yorkshire Fire Brigade name NYFB.jpg
Pump showing the old North Yorkshire Fire Brigade name

The history of fire brigades in the United Kingdom charts the development of fire services in the United Kingdom from the creation of the United Kingdom to the present day.

Contents

19th century

Between the 17th century and the beginning of the 19th century, all fire engines and crews in the United Kingdom were either provided by voluntary bodies, parish authorities or insurance companies. James Braidwood founded the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh after the Great Fire of Edinburgh in 1824 destroyed much of the city's Old Town. [1] Braidwood later went on to become superintendent of the London Fire Engine Establishment (LFEE), which brought together ten independent insurance company brigades in 1833. A 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) bronze statue of Braidwood, located in Parliament Square in Edinburgh, commemorates his achievements. [2] The Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire was formed in 1836 mainly to provide mobile escape ladders; protection of life was not the main concern of the insurance company brigades. Today it exists to give "recognition to individuals who perform acts of bravery in rescuing others from fire". [3] [4]

James Braidwood was killed at the Tooley Street fire of 1861, where a wall collapsed on top of him. [5] This fire was a major factor in the decision of the British government, after much lobbying by liability-laden insurance companies and LFEE, to create the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1866. The MFB would be publicly funded and controlled through the Metropolitan Board of Works. Its first superintendent was Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw. In 1904, the MFB changed its name to the London Fire Brigade.

Outside London, new local government bodies created by late 19th century legislation (such as the Local Government Act 1894) took over responsibility for fire-fighting.

20th century

Before 1938, there were some 1,600 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. [6] At roughly the same time, the Auxiliary Fire Service, consisting largely of unpaid volunteers, was formed in parallel to the Air Raid Precautions organisation. Every borough and urban district had an AFS unit, and they operated their own fire stations in parallel to the local authority. Members of the AFS could be called up for full-time paid service if necessary, a similar arrangement applied to the wartime Special Constabulary.

The effects of the 1938 Act were short lived (though it was not repealed until 1947), as all local brigades and Auxiliary Fire Service units in Great Britain were merged into the National Fire Service in 1941, which was itself under the auspices of the Civil Defence Service. There was a separate National Fire Service (Northern Ireland). Before the war, there had been little or no standardisation of equipment, most importantly in the diameter of hydrant valves. This made regional integration difficult.

The 1938 Act was replaced by the Fire Services Act 1947, which disbanded the National Fire Service and made firefighting functions the responsibility of county and county borough councils, meaning there were still far fewer brigades than before the war. There were also slightly different arrangements in Scotland from England and Wales. The Auxiliary Fire Service was reformed in 1948 as a national fire reserve, and operated the famous Green Goddess "self-propelled pumps", tasked with relaying vast quantities of water into burning cities after a nuclear attack, and also with supporting local fire services.

Local government was completely reorganised in the mid 1970s (see Local Government Act 1972 and Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973), meaning many fire brigades were merged and renamed. There have been some other amalgamations since then, including the 2013 merger of all Scottish services into one, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Before 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 through 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 and London who still use "Fire Brigade" and West Midlands Fire Service.

Fire brigades in England

1948–1974

The following is a list of all the fire brigades created by the 1947 decentralisation, and also those created by mergers in the 1960s, up until local government reorganisation in 1974.

BrigadeNotesFate in the 1974 reorganisation
Barnsley County Borough FBMerged to form South Yorkshire FS
Barrow-in-Furness County Borough FBMerged to form Cumbria FS
City of Bath FBMerged to form Avon County FB
Bedfordshire FBLuton County Borough formed own brigade in 1964Reabsorbed Luton County Borough FB
Berkshire and Reading FBCombined brigade for administrative county of Berkshire, Reading County Borough, laterLost Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage to Oxfordshire and gained Slough from Buckinghamshire
Birkenhead County Borough FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
City of Birmingham FBMerged to form West Midlands FS
Blackburn County Borough FBMerged into Lancashire County FS
Blackpool County Borough FBMerged into Lancashire County FS
Bolton County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Bootle County Borough FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
Bournemouth County Borough FBMerged into Dorset FS
City of Bradford FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
Brighton County Borough FBMerged into East Sussex FB
City of Bristol FBMerged to form Avon County FB
Buckinghamshire FBLost Slough to Berkshire FB
Burnley County Borough FBMerged into Lancashire County FS
Burton upon Trent County Borough FBMerged into Staffordshire FS
Bury County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely FBCombined brigade for administrative counties of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely until 1965, when Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely county council formedMerged to form Cambridgeshire FS
City of Canterbury FBFormed part of combined brigade, known as Kent and Canterbury FB in Canterbury and Kent FB in remainder of County.
City of Carlisle FBMerged to form Cumbria FS
Cheshire FBLost area to Greater Manchester, Merseyside FS
City of Chester FBMerged into Cheshire FS
Cornwall FBNo change (later became Cornwall County FB)
City of Coventry Merged to form West Midlands FS
Croydon County Borough FBAbsorbed by London FB 1965
Cumberland FBMerged to form Cumbria FS
Darlington County Borough FBMerged into County Durham County FB
Derby County Borough FBMerged into Derbyshire FS
Derbyshire FBAbsorbed Derby County Borough FB
Devon FBAbsorbed Exeter and Plymouth
Dewsbury County Borough FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
Doncaster County Borough FBMerged to form South Yorkshire FS
Dorset FBAbsorbed Bournemouth County Borough FB
Dudley County Borough FBTook in areas from Staffordshire FB 1967Merged to form West Midlands FS
Durham County FBLost areas to Hartlepool CB 1967, Teesside CB 1974Later absorbed into Cleveland County Fire Brigade
East Ham County Borough FBAbsorbed by London FB 1965
East Riding of Yorkshire FBArea split to form North Yorkshire FS and Humberside FS
East Sussex FBLost some area to West Sussex FS, gained Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings
Eastbourne County Borough FBMerged into East Sussex FS
Essex FBLost nine stations to London FB 1965.Absorbed Southend County Borough FB
City of Exeter FBMerged into Devon FS
City of Gloucester FBMerged into Gloucestershire FS
Gloucestershire Lost area to Avon County FS
Great Yarmouth County Borough FBMerged into Norfolk FS
Grimsby County Borough FBMerged to form Humberside FS
Halifax County Borough FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
Hampshire FBGained Portsmouth, Southampton, lost Christchurch area to Dorset FS
Hastings County Borough FBMerged into East Sussex FS
Herefordshire FBMerged to form Hereford and Worcester FS
Hertfordshire FBLost East Barnet to London FB but gained Potters Bar from Middlesex 1965No change
Holland FB County LincolnshireMerged to form Lincolnshire FS
Huddersfield County Borough FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
Hull County Borough FBMerged to form Humberside FS
Huntingdonshire FBMerged with Soke of Peterborough FB 1965 to form Huntingdon and Peterborough FBMerged into Cambridgeshire FS
Huntingdon and Peterborough FBFormed from Soke of Peterborough FB and Huntingdonshire FB in 1965, when Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council formedMerged into Cambridgeshire FS
Isle of Wight FBNo change
Kent FBCombined brigade for Canterbury County Borough and administrative county of Kent.
Lost part of area (present London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley) to London FB 1965		No further change in 1974
Kesteven County FBMerged to form Lincolnshire FS
Lancashire County FBLost area to Cumbria FS, Greater Manchester FS and Merseyside FS.
City of Leeds FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
City of Leicester FBMerged to form Leicestershire FS
Leicestershire and Rutland FBCombined brigade for two administrative countiesMerged to form Leicestershire FS
City of Lincoln FBMerged to form Lincolnshire FS
Lindsey County FB, LincolnshireMerged to form Lincolnshire FS
City of Liverpool FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
London FB Covered County of London until 1965, Greater London thereafterNo further change
Luton County Borough FBSeparated from Bedfordshire FB 1964Bedfordshire FS
City of Manchester FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Middlesbrough County Borough FBBecame part of Teesside County Borough FB in 1974Merged to form Cleveland County Fire Brigade
Middlesex FBAbolished 1965 to London FB except for Potters Bar to Hertfordshire FB,
Staines and Sunbury to Surrey FB
Newcastle and Gateshead Joint FBCombined brigade for two county boroughsMerged to form Tyne and Wear FS
Norfolk FB
North Riding of Yorkshire FBLost area to Teesside County Borough FB in 1968Merged to form Cleveland FS
Northampton County Borough FBMerged into Northamptonshire FS
Northamptonshire FBNo change
Northumberland FBMerged to form Tyne and Wear FS
City of Norwich FBMerged into Norfolk FS
City of Nottingham FBMerged into Nottinghamshire FS
Nottinghamshire FB
Oldham County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
City of Oxford FBMerged into Oxfordshire FS
Oxfordshire FB
Soke of Peterborough FBMerged with Huntingdonshire FB 1965 to form Huntingdon and Peterborough FB.
(City of) Peterborough Volunteer FB also retained by county council		(Cambridgeshire FS)
City of Plymouth FBMerged into Devon FS
City of Portsmouth FBMerged into Hampshire FS
Preston County Borough FBMerged into Lancashire County FS
Rochdale County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Rotherham County Borough FBMerged to form South Yorkshire FS
City of Salford FDMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
St Helens County Borough FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
City of Sheffield FBMerged to form South Yorkshire FS
Shropshire FBNo change
Smethwick and West Bromwich Joint FBCombined brigade for two county boroughs.
Abolished 1967: Became Warley County Borough FB and West Bromwich County Borough FB		Merged to form West Midlands FS
Solihull County Borough FBSeparated from Warwickshire FB 1964Merged to form West Midlands FS
Somerset FBLost area to Avon FS
South Shields County Borough FBMerged to form Tyne and Wear FS
Southampton County Borough FBRenamed Southampton City FB 1964To Hampshire FB
Southend County Borough FBMerged into Essex FS
Southport County Borough FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
Staffordshire FBLost area to various county boroughs in 1967.Gained Stoke-on-Trent, lost area to West Midlands
Stockport County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Stoke-on-Trent County Borough FBMerged into Staffordshire FS
Suffolk and Ipswich FBCombined brigade for administrative counties of East and West Suffolk and Ipswich county borough.Merged to form Suffolk FS
County Borough of Sunderland FBMerged to form Tyne and Wear FS
Surrey FBLost 10 stations to London FB in 1965. But gained Staines and Sunbury from MiddlesexNo further change
Teesside County Borough FBFormed from Middlesbrough County Borough FB, parts of Durham FB, North Riding (Yorkshire) FB 1968Cleveland County Fire Brigade
Tynemouth County Borough FBMerged to form Tyne and Wear FS
Wakefield County Borough FBMerged to form West Yorkshire FS
Wallasey County Borough FBMerged to form Merseyside FS
Warley County Borough FBFormed 1967 from the separation of Smethwick and West Bromwich Joint FBWest Midlands FS
Warrington County Borough FBMerged to form Cheshire FS
Warwickshire FBSolihull formed own brigade 1964Lost area to West Midlands FS
West Bromwich County Borough FBFormed 1967 from the separation of Smethwick and West Bromwich Joint FBWest Midlands FS
West Ham County Borough FBAbsorbed by London FB 1965
West Hartlepool County Borough FBMerged with part of Durham County Fire Brigade to form Hartlepool County Borough FB in 1967Merged with Teesside County Borough FB and parts of Durham and North Riding Fire Brigades in 1974 to form Cleveland County FB
West Riding of Yorkshire FBSplit into West Yorkshire FS and South Yorkshire FS with losses to Cumbria FS, Humberside FS and Lancashire County FS
West Sussex FBGained area from East Sussex
Westmorland FBMerged to form Cumbria FS
Wigan County Borough FBMerged to form Greater Manchester FS
Wiltshire FBNo change
Wolverhampton County Borough FBMerged to form West Midlands FS
Worcester City and County FBCombined brigade for county borough of Worcester and administrative county of WorcestershireMerged to form Hereford and Worcester FS
City of York FBMerged to form North Yorkshire FS

1974 onwards

From 1974, each of the new county councils and the Greater London Council (GLC) 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, usually termed as district or borough councils but sometimes also county councils, and accordingly combined fire authorities constituted in a number of counties.

BrigadeNotes
Avon FS Since 1996 administered by combined fire authority (CFA) of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol City, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire councils. Name changed to Avon Fire and Rescue Service in 2004. [7]
Bedfordshire FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Bedfordshire County and Luton Borough councils. Bedfordshire has since been split up into unitary authorities, so this CFA now represents Luton Borough, Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire District councils. Name changed to Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service.
Royal Berkshire FS Change of name from Royal Berkshire FB to Royal Berkshire FS in 1985. Since 1998 administered by a CFA of six unitary authorities.
Buckinghamshire FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Buckinghamshire County and Milton Keynes Borough Councils. Name changed to Buckinghamshire FRS.
Cambridgeshire FS Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils. Name changed to Cambridgeshire FRS.
Cheshire FS Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington councils. Name changed to Cheshire FRS.
Cleveland FB Since 1996 administered by a CFA of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland.
Cornwall County FB Name changed to Cornwall FRS
Cumbria FS Name changed to Cumbria FRS.
Derbyshire FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Derby City and Derbyshire County councils. Name changed to Derbyshire FRS.
Devon FSFrom 1998 administered by CFA of Devon County, Plymouth City and Torbay Borough councils. Merged into Devon and Somerset FRS in 2007.
Devon and Somerset FRS Formed 2007 by merger of Devon and Somerset FBs. Administered by CFA of Devon County, Somerset County, Plymouth City and Torbay Borough Councils.
Dorset FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Dorset County and Bournemouth and Poole Borough Councils. Name changed to Dorset FRS.
Durham County FB Renamed Durham County Fire Brigade in 1992. Then became County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade in 1997 when administered by a Combined Fire Authority of Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council. Name changed to County Durham and Darlington FRS in 2003. [8]
East Sussex FB Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Brighton and Hove City and East Sussex County councils. Name changed to East Sussex FRS.
Essex FB Since 1998 administered CFA of Essex County and Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock Borough councils. Name changed to Essex County FRS in 1985. [9]
Gloucestershire FS Name changed to Gloucestershire FRS.
Greater Manchester County FS Was administered by Greater Manchester County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority. Name of the service itself changed to Greater Manchester FRS.
Hampshire FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Hampshire County and Portsmouth and Southampton city councils. Name changed to Hampshire FRS. Merged with Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service on 1 April 2021 to create Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Hereford and Worcester FS Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Herefordshire and Worcestershire county councils. Name changed to Hereford and Worcester FRS.
Hertfordshire FS Name changed to Hertfordshire FRS.
Humberside FB Since 1998 administered by a CFA of East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull City, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils. Name changed to Humberside FRS.
Isle of Wight FS Name changed to Isle of Wight FRS. Merged with Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service on 1 April 2021 to create Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Kent FB Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Kent County and Medway Borough councils. Name changed to Kent FRS.
Lancashire FS Since 1998 administered by CFA of Lancashire County and Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool borough councils. Name changed to Lancashire FRS.
Leicestershire FS Since 1997 administered by a CFA of Rutland, Leicestershire County and Leicester City councils. Name changed to Leicestershire FRS.
Lincolnshire FS Name changed to Lincolnshire FRS.
London FB Was not affected by 1974 reorganisations; administered by the Greater London Council until its abolition in 1986, the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority 1986 - 2000 and by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority since 2000.
Merseyside County FB Was administered by Merseyside County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered by the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority, which was renamed South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority. [10] Name of the service itself changed to Merseyside FRS.
Norfolk FS Name changed to Norfolk FRS.
North Yorkshire FS Since 1996 administered by a CFA of North Yorkshire County and York City councils. Name changed to North Yorkshire FRS.
Northamptonshire FB Name changed to Northamptonshire FRS.
Northumberland FB Name changed to Northumberland FRS.
Nottinghamshire FS Since 1998 administered by a CFA of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County councils. Name changed to Nottinghamshire FRS.
Oxfordshire FS Name changed to Oxfordshire FRS.
Salop FS Renamed Shropshire FS 1980, since 1998 administered by Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority. Later renamed Shropshire FRS.
Somerset FB Merged into Devon and Somerset FRS in 2007.
Staffordshire FS Administered by Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire Authority since 1997. Name changed to Staffordshire FRS.
South Yorkshire FS Was administered by South Yorkshire County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered by the South Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority, which was renamed South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority in 2004. [10] Name of the service itself changed to South Yorkshire FRS.
Suffolk FS Name changed to Suffolk FRS.
Surrey FS Name changed to Surrey FRS.
Tyne and Wear Metropolitan FB Was administered by Tyne and Wear County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority. Name of the service itself was changed to Tyne and Wear FRS.
Warwickshire FS Name changed to Warwickshire FRS.
West Midlands FS Was administered by the West Midlands County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority.
West Yorkshire FS Was administered by the West Yorkshire County Council until its abolition in 1986, afterwards administered by the West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority, which was renamed West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority in 2005. Name of the service itself was changed to West Yorkshire FRS.
West Sussex FB Name changed to West Sussex FRS.
Wiltshire FS Since 1998 administered by Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority. Name changed to Wiltshire FRS.

Fire brigades in Wales

1948–1974

BrigadeNotesFate in the 1974 reorganisation
Anglesey FBMerged to form part of Gwynedd FS
Breconshire and Radnorshire FBCombined brigade for two administrative countiesSplit between Gwent FS and Powys FS,
Caernarvonshire FBFormed part of Gwynedd FS
City of Cardiff FBFormed part of South Glamorgan FS
Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire FBCombined brigade for two administrative countiesFormed part of Dyfed FS
Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire FBCombined brigade for two administrative countiesSplit between Clwyd FS and Gwynedd FS
Flintshire FBFormed part of Clwyd FS
Glamorgan FBSplit between Mid, South and West Glamorgan FS's
Merionethshire FBFormed part of Gwynedd FS
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough FBFormed part of Mid Glamorgan FS
Monmouthshire FBFormed part of Gwent FS
Newport County Borough FBFormed part of Gwent FS
Pembrokeshire FBFormed part of Dyfed FS
Swansea County Borough FBFormed part of West Glamorgan FS

1974–1996

From 1974 each of the new county councils maintained a separate fire brigade.

Brigade1996
Clwyd FSNorth Wales FRS
Dyfed FBMid and West Wales FRS
Gwent FBSouth Wales FRS
Gwynedd FSNorth Wales FRS
Mid Glamorgan FSSouth Wales FRS
Powys FSMid and West Wales FRS
South Glamorgan FSSouth Wales FRS
West Glamorgan FBMid and West Wales FRS

1996 onwards

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.

BrigadePrincipal 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 [11] 		Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Swansea
South Wales FS
renamed South Wales FRS 2004 [12] 		Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan

Fire brigades in Scotland

1948–1975

The first public fire service in the UK was founded in Edinburgh in 1824. Central government responsibility for fire brigades was handed to the Scottish Office and the Secretary of State for Scotland upon their creation in 1885. 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 areaCounties and burghs covered and represented in the CFA
LanarkThe county of Lanark and the burghs of Airdrie, Coatbridge, Hamilton, Motherwell and Wishaw, and Rutherglen.
CentralThe counties of Clackmannan, Dunbarton and Stirling, and the burghs of Clydebank, Dumbarton, Falkirk and Stirling.
WesternThe counties of Argyll, Bute and Renfrew, and the burghs of Greenock, Paisley and Port Glasgow.
South WesternThe counties of Ayr, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright and Wigtown, and the burghs of Ayr, Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
South EasternThe counties of Berwick, East Lothian, Midlothian, Peebles, Roxburgh, Selkirk and West Lothian, and the county of the city of Edinburgh.
FifeThe county of Fife and the burghs of Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.
Perth and KinrossThe joint county of Perth and Kinross, and the burgh of Perth.
AngusThe county of Angus, the burgh of Arbroath and the county of the city of Dundee.
North EasternThe counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine, and the joint county of Moray and Nairn, and the county of the city of Aberdeen.
NorthernThe 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.

1975–2013

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 reorganised local government from 1975. County councils and town councils were abolished, making regional or islands area councils the new fire authorities, except where a combined fire authority was present. Some of the new administrative areas were grouped, and eight brigades were formed in all. Minor name changes took place throughout the life of these brigades; "Northern" was changed to "Highlands and Islands" in 1983, "Central Region" became "Central Scotland" when local government was again reformed in 1996, and all brigades except Tayside and the Highlands and Islands eventually adopted the name "Fire and Rescue Service".

Brigade formed in 1975Pre-1975 brigades1975-1996 local government regions1996-2013 local council areas
Central Region FB

Renamed Central Scotland FB in 1996

Part of Central Area FB,
part of Perth and Kinross FB,
Bo'ness from South Eastern Area FB		 Central Region Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire
Dumfries and Galloway FB Most of South Western Area FB Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway
Fife FB Identical to Fife Area FB Fife Fife
Grampian Region FB Most of North Eastern Area FB Grampian Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray
Lothian and Borders FB South Eastern Area FB (less Bo'ness) Lothian, Scottish Borders City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, Midlothian, East Lothian, Scottish Borders
Northern FB

Renamed Highland and Islands FB 1983 Changed to Highlands and Islands late 1990s.

Northern Area FB, part of North Eastern Area FB Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles
Strathclyde FB City of Glasgow, Lanark Area FB, part of Central Area FB,
part of South Western Area FB, part of Western Area FB		 Strathclyde Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire
Tayside FB Angus Area FB, most of Perth and Kinross FB Tayside Perth and Kinross, Dundee City, Angus

Since 2013

Under the terms of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, the eight regional services were replaced by a single Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for the whole of Scotland, with effect from 1 April 2013. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has its headquarters in Cambuslang (having initially been based in Perth).

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 1 March 1942 all brigades were nationalised by the Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) (NI) Act 1942 as the National Fire Service (Northern Ireland).

On 1 January 1948, the Fire Services Act (Northern Ireland) 1947 came into effect. This provided for the establishment of four brigades in the province:

Northern Ireland Fire Brigade 1950–2006

The three regional brigades were short-lived and on 1 January 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.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

On 1 July 2006, the fire authority was replaced with a Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board, with the brigade adopting the title Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City status in the United Kingdom</span> Status granted by royal charter

City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the monarch of the United Kingdom to specific centres of population, which might or might not meet the generally accepted definition of cities. As of 22 November 2022, there are 76 cities in the United Kingdom—55 in England, seven in Wales, eight in Scotland, and six in Northern Ireland. Although it carries no special rights, the status of city can be a marker of prestige and confer local pride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire department</span> Organization that provides firefighting services

A fire department or fire brigade, also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression services as well as other rescue services.

Local government in Wales is primarily undertaken by the twenty-two principal councils. The councils are unitary authorities, meaning they are responsible for providing local government services within their principal area, including education, social work, environmental protection, and most highway maintenance. The principal areas are divided into communities, most of which have an elected community council. The services provided by community councils vary, but they will typically maintain public spaces and facilities. Local councils in Wales are elected; the most recent local elections in Wales took place in 2022, and the next are due to take place in 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative geography of the United Kingdom</span> Geographical subdivisions of local government in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The administrative geography of the United Kingdom is complex, multi-layered and non-uniform. The United Kingdom, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe, consists of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For local government in the United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own system of administrative and geographic demarcation. Consequently, there is "no common stratum of administrative unit encompassing the United Kingdom".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntingdon and Peterborough</span> Former county in England

Huntingdon and Peterborough was a short-lived administrative and geographical county in East Anglia in the United Kingdom. It existed from 1965 to 1974, when it became part of Cambridgeshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County borough</span> Borough or city independent of county council control

County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent term used in Scotland was a county of city. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland they remain in existence but have been renamed cities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2001. The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 re-introduced the term for certain "principal areas" in Wales. Scotland did not have county boroughs but instead had counties of cities. These were abolished on 16 May 1975. All four Scottish cities of the time—Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow—were included in this category. There was an additional category of large burgh in the Scottish system, which were responsible for all services apart from police, education and fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of England</span> Overview of the political system in England

Politics of England forms the major part of the wider politics of the United Kingdom, with England being more populous than all the other countries of the United Kingdom put together. As England is also by far the largest in terms of area and GDP, its relationship to the UK is somewhat different from that of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The English capital London is also the capital of the UK, and English is the dominant language of the UK. Dicey and Morris (p26) list the separate states in the British Islands. "England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.... is a separate country in the sense of the conflict of laws, though not one of them is a State known to public international law." But this may be varied by statute.

A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal borough</span> Former type of British and Irish local government

A municipal borough was a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1836 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in Scotland from 1833 to 1975 with the reform of royal burghs and creation of police burghs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-metropolitan district</span> Type of local government district in England

Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially "shire districts", are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a two-tier arrangement. Non-metropolitan districts with borough status are known as boroughs, able to appoint a mayor and refer to itself as a borough council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Braidwood</span> British firefighter

James Braidwood (1800–1861) was a Scottish firefighter who was the first "Master of Engines", in the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Fire Brigade</span> Fire and Rescue service in London

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London, the capital of the United Kingdom. It was formed by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act 1865, under the leadership of superintendent Eyre Massey Shaw. It has 5,992 staff, including 5,096 operational firefighters and officers based at 102 fire stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town and Country Planning Act 1947</span> Act of Parliament

The Town and Country Planning Act 1947 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom passed by the Labour government led by Clement Attlee. It came into effect on 1 July 1948, and along with the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1947 was the foundation of modern town and country planning in the United Kingdom.

Borough status is granted by royal charter to local government districts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The status is purely honorary, and does not give any additional powers to the council or inhabitants of the district. In Scotland, similarly chartered communities were known as royal burghs, although the status is no longer granted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire services in the United Kingdom</span>

The fire services in the United Kingdom operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Fire and Rescue Service</span> Fire and rescue service in south east England

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the administrative county of Kent and the unitary authority area of Medway, covering a geographical area south-east of London, to the coast and including major shipping routes via the Thames and Medway rivers. The total coastline covered is 225 km ; it has 55 fire stations, and four district fire safety offices. The FRS provides emergency cover to a population of nearly 2 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Services Act 1947</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Fire Services Act 1947 was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that reorganised fire services in the United Kingdom. It disbanded the National Fire Service and returned the responsibility for running fire services to local authorities.

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales was established by section 1(1) of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales brings together the jurisdictions of various offices he replaced, namely the Local Government Ombudsman for Wales, the Health Service Ombudsman for Wales, the Welsh Administration Ombudsman and the Social Housing Ombudsman for Wales.

This article documents the strengths of political parties in the 317 local authorities of England, 32 local authorities of Scotland, 22 principal councils of Wales and 11 local councils of Northern Ireland.

References

  1. ↑ "Edinburgh-Royal Mile The Great Fire of 1824" . Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "No bells and no whistles for 'father of firefighting'". The Scotsman. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  3. ↑ "London Fire Brigade". Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Society for the Protection of Life from Fire" . Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Overview of James Braidwood". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Fire Brigades Act, 1938 (1 & 2 Geo. 6.) C. 72
  7. ↑ "History of Avon Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 4, 2008".
  8. ↑ "History, County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service, accessed January 4, 2008". Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  9. ↑ Pingala Media Limited. "Back to our roots". Essex County Fire & Rescue Service. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Fire Authority, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, accessed January 5, 2008". Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  11. ↑ "Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, records, Archives Network Wales, accessed January 5, 2008".[ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ "History, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, accessed January 5, 2008". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  13. ↑ "About NIFRS, accessed January 5, 2008". Archived from the original on 4 March 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.