Citizendia

London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade area
Coverage
AreaGreater London
Size609 square miles (1,577 km²)
Population7,517,700. Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England.
Operations
Formed1865 (originally called the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, it was renamed the London Fire Brigade in 1904)
HQLambeth
Staff7000
Stations112 (includes one independent river station)
WebsiteLondon Fire Brigade
Fire AuthorityLondon Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
This box: view • talk • edit


The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the statutory fire and rescue service for London, England. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth, although the area is now more commonly known as Waterloo, after the railway station whose viaduct separates the In the United Kingdom a fire authority or fire and rescue authority is a statutory body made up of a committee of local councillors which oversees the policy and service The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA is a functional body of the Greater London Authority (GLA and was established under the Greater London Authority A statute is a formal written enactment of a Legislative authority that governs a Country, State, City, or County. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is run by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and is the third-largest fire service in the world with nearly 7000 staff of which 5800 are operational firefighters and officers. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA is a functional body of the Greater London Authority (GLA and was established under the Greater London Authority [1] In October 2007, Ron Dobson was appointed as the Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Planning, which includes the position of Brigade Manager or Chief Fire Officer. The rank of Chief Fire Officer or CFO is the highest in the fire Service in England and Wales. Mr Dobson took over from Sir Ken Knight who had been commissioner since 2003. Sir Ken Knight, CBE, QFSM, DL, MIFireE is the current Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, a new post set up by the Department for [2]

In 2005/2006 it attended over 155,001 emergencies, which included 16,000 serious fires[3], making it one of the busiest fire brigades in the world. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In 2005, it received over 9000 hoax calls, the highest number of all the fire brigades in the United Kingdom. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The LFB is the third largest fire brigade in the world, after the New York Fire Department and the Paris Fire Brigade. The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department City of New York ( FDNY) has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City This article is about the Paris Fire Brigade For the British Society for Plant Pathology see BSPP. [4] As well as fire fighting, the LFB responds to hazardous material incidents, conducts emergency planning and performs fire safety inspections and education. Distinguish from a Firefight, which means a battle with firearms A dangerous good is any Solid, Liquid, or Gas that can harm people other living Organisms property or the environment Emergency management (or disaster management) is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a Fire that may result in death injury or property damage alert those in a structure It does not provide an ambulance service, this function is performed by the London Ambulance Service as an independent NHS Trust, however all firefighters are trained in first aid and fire engines - or appliances as they are known - carry first-aid equipment including basic resuscitators. An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS is the largest "free at the point of contact" ambulance service in the world that does not directly charge its patients First aid is the provision of initial care for an Illness or Injury. First aid is the provision of initial care for an Illness or Injury.

Contents

Organisation

The LFEPA consists of three directorates that all report to the commissioner - currently Ron Dobson [5] - they are: Fire and Community Safety Directorate, Resources Directorate and Corporate Services Directorate. Ron Dobson QFSM is the Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Planning at the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which includes the role of Chief Fire In May 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government announced that Sir Ken had been appointed as the first Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities In February 2007 the government in the UK announced it was setting up a new unit to advise ministers on fire and rescue issues and creating the role of Chief Fire and [6]

The LFB's headquarters is at Lambeth, on the Albert Embankment, next to the River Thames, and close to Lambeth Bridge, but it was confirmed in November 2005, that the brigade's headquarters will be moving to a new building adjacent to the existing Southwark training centre in 2007 [7]. Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth, although the area is now more commonly known as Waterloo, after the railway station whose viaduct separates the The Albert Embankment is a stretch of the river bank on the south side of the River Thames in Central London. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Lambeth Bridge is a road traffic and Footbridge crossing the River Thames in an east-west direction in central London; the river flows north at Southwark or The Borough is an area of south-east London in the London Borough of Southwark, situated 1

Historical organisation

In 1938, the LFB was organised into two Divisions: Northern and Southern, divided in most places by the River Thames. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Each was commanded by a Divisional Officer. Each division was divided into three Districts, each under a Superintendent, with his headquarters at a "superintendent station". The superintendent stations themselves were commanded by District Officers, with the other stations under Station Officers. [8]

Legislative powers

LFB Headquarters
LFB Headquarters

Fire and rescue authorities in England come under the government department that used to be known as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities This department was responsible for legislation covering fire authorities. However, in 2006, a structural change to central government led to the creation of the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities It is now responsible for fire and resilience in England and therefore London [9].

The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 changed many working practises [10], it was brought in to replace the Fire Services Act 1947(amended 1959). The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is a law of the United Kingdom Parliament enacted in 2004 The Fire Services Act 1947 (amended 1959 was the primary legislation relating to firefighting operations in Great Britain from just after the war until it was repealed and

The new act was drafted in response to the Independent Review of the Fire Service [11], often referred to as the Bain Report, after its author Professor Sir George Bain. Professor Sir George Sayers Bain, a Canadian by birth was President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland It recommended radical changes to many fire brigade working procedures and led to a national fire strike in 2002. The 2002-2003 UK firefighter dispute began when the UK Firefighters union, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU voted to take Strike action See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Further changes to the legislative, organisational and structural fabric of the brigade, which could include varying the attendance time, the location of front line pumps (fire engines) and number of personnel, plus mandatory performance targets, priorities and objectives are set by the DCLG in the form of a document called the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework. The framework is set annually by the government and applies to all brigades in England. Responsibility for the rest of the UK fire service is devolved to the various parliaments and assemblies. On UK wide issues, the Chief Fire Officers Association provides the collective voice on fire, rescue and resilience issues. The Chief Fire Officers Association or CFOA is the professional body representing senior fire officers in the UK. [12] Membership is made up from senior officers above the rank of assistant chief officer, to chief officer or the new title of brigade manager.

History

Following a multitude of ad-hoc firefighting arrangements and the 1666 Great Fire of London, various insurance companies established fire fighting units to fight fires that occurred in buildings that their respective companies had insured. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Fire is the heat and light energy released during a Chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. As the demands grew on the primitive fire brigades they began to co-operate with each other until, on January 1, 1833, the London Fire Engine Establishment was formed under the leadership of James Braidwood [13]. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common James Braidwood (1800 - 1861 founded the world's first municipal fire service in Edinburgh in 1824 and was the first director of the London Fire Engine With eighty firefighters and thirteen fire stations, the unit was still a private enterprise, funded by the insurance companies and as such was responsible mainly for saving material goods from fire. Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous Fires that threaten civilian populations and property to rescue people from car accidents collapsed A fire station (also called stationhouse) is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus (i

Several large fires, most notably at the Palace of Westminster in 1834 [13] and warehouses by the River Thames in 1861 [13], spurred the insurance companies to lobby the government to provide the Brigade at public expense and management. Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at After due consideration, in 1865 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act was passed[13], creating the Metropolitan Fire Brigade under the leadership of Captain (later Sir) Eyre Massey Shaw. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw (1830–1908 was the Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now renamed the London Fire Brigade) and its predecessor In 1904 the Brigade was officially renamed as the London Fire Brigade[13]. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on

During the Second World War, fire brigades were amalgamated into a single National Fire Service. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The National Fire Service ( NFS) was the single Fire service created in Great Britain in 1941 during the Second World War; a separate National The separate London Fire Brigade for the county of London was re-established in 1948[13]. The County of London was a ceremonial county and administrative county of England from 1889 to 1965 With the formation of Greater London in 1965, this absorbed most of the Middlesex Fire Brigade, the borough brigades for West Ham, East Ham and Croydon and parts of the Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent brigades[13]. Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. West Ham was a local government district in the extreme south west of Essex from 1886 to 1965 forming part of the built-up area of London, although outside the East Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965 Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965 Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format

In 1986 the Greater London Council - or GLC - was disbanded and replaced by a new statutory authority, called the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority or more simply, the LFCDA[13]. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 On July 3, 2000, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, took over statutory responsibility from the LFCDA. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA is a functional body of the Greater London Authority (GLA and was established under the Greater London Authority

At the same time, the Greater London Authority was established to administer the LFEPA and in turn the LFB, and coordinate emergency planning for London. The Greater London Authority ( GLA) is the city-wide governing body for London, England. Consisting of the Mayor of London and other elected members; the GLA also takes responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Authority, Transport for London and other functions. The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA is the Police authority responsible for supervising the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London Transport for London ( TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the Transport system in Greater London in England.

Former Commissioners and Chief Officers

Extract from: London Fire Brigade - key dates[14]

Staffing

Role structure

The London Fire Brigade, along with many UK fire and rescue services has adopted a change in rank structure. Sir Ken Knight, CBE, QFSM, DL, MIFireE is the current Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser, a new post set up by the Department for Joseph Milner (Joe, CBE, QFSM b October 1922 Manchester – 13 January, 2007 in Caston, Norfolk) was a senior officer The National Fire Service ( NFS) was the single Fire service created in Great Britain in 1941 during the Second World War; a separate National Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw (1830–1908 was the Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now renamed the London Fire Brigade) and its predecessor The traditional ranks - to the left of the column below have been replaced in the LFB, by new titles more descriptive to the job function. [15] [16]

The old titles are still in use in many of the UK's other brigades and fire authorities. [17]

Historical ranks

The rank structure used by the London Fire Brigade in 1938 was:[8]

Recruitment and training

Professional firefighter training lasts about four months and takes places at the LFB's specialist training centre in Southwark. Leading Firefighter (previously Leading Fireman and Leading Firewoman) was a rank in the British fire services, between Firefighter and Sub-Officer is a term used in many military forces used to indicate ranks below Commissioned officers Sub-Officer is equivalent to the term NCO in the Commonwealth Station Officer is a rank in a number of Commonwealth fire services, including those in Australia, the United Kingdom and the New Zealand The rank of Chief Fire Officer or CFO is the highest in the fire Service in England and Wales. On successful completion, the newly-qualified firefighter is posted to one of the fire stations within the London area to work on a shift pattern - currently two day shifts (nine hours), followed by two night shifts (15 hours), followed by four days off. Working patterns were the subject of scrutiny in Professor Bain's Independent Review of the Fire Service. [18]

After training school, firefighters serve a one year period when they are on probation, and many choose to take formal promotion exams. Qualification and full pay are not reached until four years service has been completed. Ongoing training - both theoretical and practical continues throughout the firefighter's career. [19]

Promotion

Firefighters gain promotion by taking examinations. Until July 2006, these were administered by the Fire Services Examinations Board who set national written exams for promotion to the rank of Leading firefighter, Sub-officer and Station officer (see above). July 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month [20]

Some promotion exams can be substituted by qualifications from the Institution of Fire Engineers. The Institution of Fire Engineers is a worldwide body that provides research training conferences and professional qualifications for Firefighters and civilians who work in Firefighters and civilians - for example building inspectors, scientists, surveyors and other practising professionals take these qualifications either by written test or research.

Future promotion exams will be set using the Integrated Personal Development System or IPDS. [21]

Firefighting, special services and fire prevention

Firefighters respond to fires[22], and special services. [22],[22],[22] A special service is defined as every other non-fire related emergency and includes: road traffic accidents (known by all the emergency services as RTAs, or RTCs, Road Traffic Collision), chemical incidents, persons shut in lifts, persons under trains, train crashes, waterborne rescues (most notably the Marchioness sinking in 1989) and other emergencies requiring specialist rescue personnel and equipment. The full scope of a brigade's duties and powers are enshrined in The Fire and Rescue Act 2004. [22],[22], Firefighters and in some cases specialist teams from the brigade's Fire Investigation unit also investigate arson incidents, work alongside the police and provide evidence in court.

The other core duty of the brigade is to 'prevent damage', and day-to-day fire prevention duties.

Firefighting cover

The London Fire Brigade provides fire cover according to a system of four risk categories, these have traditionally been used across the UK, where every building is rated from "A" risk to "D" risk. [23] The risk category determines the minimum number of appliances to be sent to an incident:

"A" risk

Areas with high density of large buildings and/or population, for example office blocks or factories.

Three fire engines to be sent within eight minutes, the first two to arrive within five minutes.

"B" risk

Areas with medium density of large buildings and/or population, for example multi-storey residential blocks.

Two engines deployed, one within five minutes, the second within eight minutes.

"C" risk

Low density suburban areas and detached properties.

One fire engine to be sent within ten minutes.

"D" risk

More rural areas not covered by bands A-C.

One fire engine to be sent within twenty minutes.

Mutual assistance

The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, gives brigades the power to assist other brigades or fire authorities in what is known as mutual assistance. The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 is a law of the United Kingdom Parliament enacted in 2004 [24] The LFB played a comprehensive role in assisting Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service with the Buncefield oil fire in 2005.

The brigades that adjoin the LFB are as follows:

Determining the size of an incident

The LFB, along with all UK fire and rescue services determines the size of a fire or special service by the final number of pumping and special appliances despatched to deal with it. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS is the Statutory FRS (fire and rescue service for the county of Essex in the southeast of England and is Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Kent covering a geographical area south of London The Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Surrey, England, with 24 fire stations The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service is a statutory fire and rescue service covering the area of the Ceremonial county of Berkshire in The Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, is the Fire Service serving the county of Buckinghamshire. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is the Statutory fire and rescue service for the County of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom BAA Limited is the owner and operator of seven British Airports and the operator of several other airports worldwide making the company one of the largest transport London City Airport is a single-runway Airport, intended for use by STOL (Short Take Off and Landing Airliners and principally serving the financial For example, two appliances are despatched to a B risk area in response to a fire call in a residential house. The officer-in-charge can request additional appliances by transmitting the radio message, "Make pumps four" or if persons are believed involved, "Make pumps four persons reported". [25] The control room will then despatch a further two apllicances making the total up to four. Informally firefighters refer to such fires as 'a make up' or 'a four pumper' [26], when the fire is out, if no other pumping appliances were despatched, this would be recorded as a four pump fire.

If an incident is more serious, it can be escalated straight to a six, eight or ten pump fire and beyond - in London, this is usually completed in even numbers. But it's not uncommon for a ten pump fire to be 'made up' to 15 as a large fire would need an additional five appliances. A call to a serious warehouse fire could be escalated straight to a ten pump fire, the May 2007 Cutty Sark fire required eight pumps[27], as a serious incident escalates, the brigade deploys senior officers and command and control vehicles, from command and brigade headquarters, plus specialist appliances. Etymology The ship is named after the cutty sark ( Scots: a short Chemise or Undergarment) One example of a 25 pump fire, was the blaze at Alexandra Palace in 1980,[28] The King's Cross fire was a 30 pump fire. Set in Alexandra Park, Alexandra Palace was built in an area spanning Wood Green and Muswell Hill, North London, England in 1873 as Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The King's Cross fire was a fatal underground Fire in London which broke out at approximately 1930 on 18 November 1987, and which killed 31 [29] Pumping appliances can only operate with a minimum crew of four, and a maximum of six (although this is rare) so it is possible, as a rule-of-thumb, to work out the number of firefighters attending an incident by multiplying the number of pumps by five. The Cutty Sark fire was described as "an eight pump fire attended by 40 firefighters". [27]

Special services

Core services are paid for by London's council tax payers and through central government funding - known as a grant settlement; and each council tax payer's bill will include what is known as a precept - a specific part of their bill that contributes to the funding of the FRS. Council Tax is the system of local Taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at Those in need of the LFB's services in an emergency do not pay. But the brigade can provide additional special services for which it may charge where there is no immediate threat to life or imminent risk of injury.

Examples of these special services which may be charged for are:

Safety and fire prevention

LFB firefighters and 'watch officers' visit residential and commercial premises to advise on hazard risk assessment and fire prevention. They also provide safety education to schools and youth groups. Each of the London boroughs has a central fire safety office that collates and coordinates fire prevention work in accordance with legislation, and they are supported by a dedicated team of specialist officers.

Fire stations

The LFB today

The LFB has 112 fire stations, including one completely independent river station across the 33 London boroughs. The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. [30] They are staffed 24 hours per day by full-time members of the brigade, and are linked to a command and control centre located in Docklands [31]. Docklands is the semi-official name for an area in the east of London, England, comprising parts of several boroughs ( Southwark, Tower Hamlets This centre was opened in 2004, calls to it are fed from 999 operators at BT. BT Group plc (formerly British Telecommunications plc) which trades as BT (ˌbiːˈtiː bee tee) (previously known as British Telecom and still

Some UK fire authorities use part time, or retained firefighters who live and work near their local station and are on-call, but the LFB is one of only two UK fire services where all operational staff are full-time employees. Each Station has four shifts, known as watches: red, white, blue and green; with a watch commander (Station Officer or Sub Officer) in charge. The overall management of the station is carried out by the Station Commander (Assistant Divisional Officer), who will also attend serious incidents, as well as spending time on call.

A group of one (City of London) to six (Tower Hamlets) stations within a borough are managed by a Borough Commander (Divisional Officer) who interacts strategically on a local level with the Borough Commander for the police and the chief executive of the local authority.

Appliances

Main article: London Fire Brigade equipment

More than half of the LFB's fire stations have two fire engines or appliances, also known as pumps. The London Fire Brigade operates a large and diverse fleet of appliances all carrying a variety of specialised equipment and apparatus These are generally the busier stations receiving over 2,000 calls (known colloquially by firefighters as "shouts") per year. They may also be stations of strategic importance, or those located in areas considered high risk. The remaining stations have a single pump (actually known as a Dual-Purpose Pump Ladder) and generally attend fewer than 2,000 calls per year. Many stations also have other specialist vehicles allocated to them.

This is the LFB's current full operational fleet:

The programme of improvements in staffing and equipment undertaken by the LFB since 9/11 to improve the capital's resilience and its capability to deal with major emergencies, including the threat of terrorism has included: 10 Incident Response Units; two Scientific Support Units; four different types of Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) vehicles and ten USAR personnel carriers; three mass decontamination resilience units; ten personnel carriers; and six equipment carriers known as Operational Support Units. [32]

Central London stations can attend up to 8000 calls in a year, inner city stations about 3000 to 4000 calls per year (these tend to be the stations that are busy serving the poorer densely-populated areas), and outlying or suburban fire stations may attend around 1500 calls which include road traffic accidents, grass fires and house fires. The term Central London refers to the districts of London England which are considered closest to the centre [33]

Architecturally, fire stations vary in age and design from Edwardian red-brick fire houses to modern spacious blocks complete with additional specialist facilities [34]. Class and society Socially the Edwardian era was a period during which the British Class system was very rigid Early fire stations were originally built with horse-drawn appliances in mind and with traditional features such as the firemen's pole, used by firefighters to gain rapid access from their upstairs accommodation quarters to the fire engine garages below when summoned. A firemen's pole or sliding pole or firepole is a Wooden pole or a Metal tube or pipe installed The oldest working station in London is at Clerkenwell between the City and the West End. Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. For London as a whole see the main article London. The City of London is a geographically The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial

More modern fire stations, though constructed without such features, often have more spacious accommodation and facilities for staff of both sexes, public visitor areas such as community safety offices and other amenities. An example of these is the new fire station in Hammersmith which opened in 2003 [35], just a few hundred yards along the Shepherd's Bush Road from the previous local fire station which had been constructed in 1913 [36]. Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, approximately 5 miles (8km west of Charing Cross on Shepherd's Bush (also Shepherds Bush) is a district of West London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, situated 4

Fire station closures

The creation of the Greater London Council in 1965 saw the number of LFB stations increase. The Greater London Council (GLC was the top-tier Local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986 The LFB absorbed some stations from the county brigades. At the time there were a handful of smaller brigades: Middlesex, Croydon, West Ham and East Ham - they were all incorporated into the LFB. [37] By 1965 the LFB had 115 stations, plus two river stations. The LFB has an on-going policy of upgrading existing fire stations, and building new stations to replace those that are no longer suitable for the requirements of a modern day fire service. [38] It has gained one new station at Heathrow Airport, but in recent years, the total number of stations has reduced very slightly with some permanent closures:

In November 2007, the brigade announced plans to build a new fire station in Harold Hill, Havering, taking the number of stations in this borough to four. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) If plans are fulfilled and construction goes to time, the new station will be operational in early 2009. [44]

Regional control centre

In October 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government announced that the location for the new regional control centre, dedicated to the capital, and part of the FiReControl project, would be at the Merton Industrial Estate in the London Borough of Merton. The Department for Communities and Local Government (branded as Communities and Local Government) is the United Kingdom government department for communities FiReControl is a UK based project to reduce the number of regional control centres or RCCs used to handle emergency calls for fire brigades and authorities The London Borough of Merton ( is a London borough in south west London. [45]

Notable incidents

The geographical area covered by the LFB along with the major transport infrastructure; and the political, business and administrative bases typical of a capital city has seen the brigade involved in several major incidents. FiReControl is a UK based project to reduce the number of regional control centres or RCCs used to handle emergency calls for fire brigades and authorities A major incident, which used to be known as a major accident requires the implementation of an inter-agency response to a pre-determined contingency plan.

Any of the emergency services can initiate Major Incident Procedure usually from an officer on the ground. In legislative terms, in the UK the most senior fire officer is in charge of any incident involving fire, any other is the responsibility of the police, however as in the case of the 2005 London bombings multiple major incidents were declared by the fire service for the Aldgate and Edgware Road bombs, and by the London Ambulance Service for the Tavistock Square bus bomb. The following is a timeline of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and 21 July 2005 London bombings. The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS is the largest "free at the point of contact" ambulance service in the world that does not directly charge its patients When a major incident is declared the services along with civilian agencies use a structural system known as gold command that allows them to follow a set procedure for incident management. History The structure was created by the UK Metropolitan Police in 1985 directly after a serious riot in North London on the evening of 6 October where Police Put simply gold command relates to strategic control of an incident, silver command tactical and bronze operational. The term gold command can also relate to an emergency service building, mobile control unit or other base that becomes the focal point (often remotely) for the incident's management.

Additionally, a major incident can lead to the government activating its coordination facility, known as COBR. Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms ( COBR) is a coordination facility of the government of the United Kingdom that is activated in cases of national or regional emergency

Some notable major incidents where the LFB has played a significant role:

The LFB and popular culture

References

  1. ^ London Fire Brigade: Our staff
  2. ^ London Fire Brigade appoints new Commissioner Press release: PR062/07, 01 Oct 07, (accessed 08 Oct 07)
  3. ^ London Fire Brigade: Our plan for improving services 2007/2008, published Nov 2006 (accessed 05 Jul 07)
  4. ^ BT: Hoax calls cost fire service £230,000 every day
  5. ^ London Fire Brigade: Commissioner
  6. ^ Communities and Local Government News Release 099, 24 May 2007, New Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Appointed
  7. ^ London Fire Brigade: News
  8. ^ a b London Fire Brigade, The London Fire Brigade: Information for Intending Candidates, December 1938.
  9. ^ Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) website
  10. ^ Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
  11. ^ Independent Review of the Fire Service
  12. ^ Chief Fire Officers Association
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h London Fire Brigade: Key dates
  14. ^ London Fire Brigade: key dates, (accessed 23 Oct 07)
  15. ^ The Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) (accessed 08 Oct 07)
  16. ^ London Fire Brigade: Rank structure
  17. ^ FireNet: UK fire service ranks
  18. ^ Independent Review of the Fire Service, Prof Sir George Bain Pub: 16 Dec 2002
  19. ^ London Fire Brigade: Training
  20. ^ Fire Services Examinations Board
  21. ^ Integrated Personal Development System Booklet, (PDF download)
  22. ^ a b c d e f Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, published online the Office of Public Sector Information, (accessed 06 Nov 07)
  23. ^ London Fire Brigade: Fire cover
  24. ^ Fire and Rescue Act 2004
  25. ^ Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, Operational Note 3 (in the public domain, accessed 22 May 2007)
  26. ^ a b Fireman! A Personal Account, by Neil Wallington, Pub David & Charles, 22 Feb 1979, ISBN 0-7153-7723-X
  27. ^ a b London Fire Brigade: Latest information on incidents in London, 21 May 2007 (accessed 22 May 2007)
  28. ^ London Fire Brigade press release pr149/02 24 September 2002 (accessed 22 May 07)
  29. ^ Dept of Transport, Investigation into the King's Cross fire: Desmond Fennell OBE, QC, Nov 1988 (accessed 25 Oct 07)
  30. ^ London Fire Brigade: Our Organisation (accessed 16 Jan 07)
  31. ^ PR Newswire: London Fire Authority's New Command and Control System Goes Live
  32. ^ Better preparation for major emergencies and terrorist attacks
  33. ^ London Fire Brigade: A-Z of fire stations
  34. ^ Firefleet.co.uk gallery of London fire stations
  35. ^ New £7.7m fire station at Hammersmith, 2003
  36. ^ Hammersmith Today: Old fire station set to be a pub
  37. ^ London Fire Brigade Key Dates (1965), (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  38. ^ LFB Press Release P039/06, 23 June 06, (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  39. ^ Firefleet gallery (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  40. ^ Firefleet gallery (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  41. ^ Heathrow Fire Station – Taking of new lease 15 Sep 05 (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  42. ^ Firefleet gallery (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  43. ^ Firefleet gallery (accessed 24 Oct 07)
  44. ^ Press release about new fire station in Harold Hill, borough of Havering
  45. ^ Dept of Communities and Local Government: News Release 193, Site of London's New Fire Control Centre Announced, 17 Oct 07
  46. ^ BBC News website: Blaze ravages historic Cutty Sark
  47. ^ BBC News website: Beds, Herts and Bucks
  48. ^ BBC News wesbsite: on this day 7 July 2005
  49. ^ BBC News website: on this day 5 October 1990
  50. ^ BBC News website: on this day 8 January 1991
  51. ^ BBC news website on this day 20 August 1989
  52. ^ BBC News website: on this day 12 December 1988
  53. ^ BBC News website: on this day 18 November 1987
  54. ^ BBC News website: on this day 28 February 1975
  55. ^ Fire Wars, Produced by Folio/Mentorn for BBC Television transmitted on 1 July 2003 & 8 July 2003
  56. ^ London's Burning: The Movie, (IMDB)
  57. ^ "London's Burning" TV series, (IMDB)
  58. ^ Fire! Produced & directed by Chris Oxley/Laurel Productions for Thames Television/ITV transmitted in 1991
  59. ^ Ban on Party Firemen, Another TV Row, Pub Daily Mail, 28 June 1991
  60. ^ Red Watch: The best seller about a fire and the men who fought it, by Gordon Honeycombe, Pub Arrow, 17 May 1976, ISBN 0-09-126310-7

See also

Fire related

Other emergency services

External links

"July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Chief Fire Officers Association or CFOA is the professional body representing senior fire officers in the UK. Cyril Thomas Demarne OBE ( February 7 1905 &ndash January 28 2007) was a British Firefighter. The Fire Service College is responsible for providing leadership management and advanced operational training courses for senior fire officers from the UK and foreign fire authorities FiReControl is a UK based project to reduce the number of regional control centres or RCCs used to handle emergency calls for fire brigades and authorities The Institution of Fire Engineers is a worldwide body that provides research training conferences and professional qualifications for Firefighters and civilians who work in The London Fire Brigade Museum covers the history of firefighting since 1666 (the date of the Great Fire of London) Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw (1830–1908 was the Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now renamed the London Fire Brigade) and its predecessor The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust (LAS is the largest "free at the point of contact" ambulance service in the world that does not directly charge its patients London's Air Ambulance, is an Air ambulance, also known as a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS, which responds to seriously ill or injured casualties "Metropolitan Police" redirects here See also Metropolitan police. The founder Sir William Hillary Sir William Hillary came to live on the Isle of Man in 1808
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic