County Fire Brigade

CF 1 National Fire Service.

CF 2 National Fire Service - Region No. X (North West)

CF 3 National Fire Service Force No. 27 (Manchester)

CF 4/1 Fire Reports - Form K433 - sample.

CF 4/2 Fire Research Reports.

CF 4/3 Fire Station Log Books - sample.

CF 5 General Correspondence Files.

CF 6 Brigade Orders ; Memoranda and Training Notes.

CFX Fire Brigade Publications.

Historical Introduction

The provision of local fire services was originally determined by local voluntary initative or private enterprise, represented by the fire brigades maintained by the fire insurance companies.

The Lighting and Watching Act of 1833 and the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847,allowed for the provision of fire services by the parishes and by the boroughs.However,it was not until 1938,with the passage of the Fire Brigades Act that the provision of fire services by local authorities became compulsory.

The inadequacies of a system that relied so much on voluntary effort and varied so greatly from area to area were exposed by the bombing raids of the Second World War,as a result of which the Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) Act was passed in 1941,amalgamating all local authority fire services into one National Fire Service,divided into regional areas. In Cheshire,this meant that 46 separate fire brigades became part of Fire Region No.10,covering the North-West,and divided into Area 26 (based on Liverpool) and Area 27 (based on Manchester) - see CF 1-3.

Under the National Fire Services Act of 1947,responsibility for local Fire Brigades was transferred from the National Fire Service to the County and County Borough Councils.A Fire Brigade Committee - see CCC1/9/3 - was established to fulfil the County Council's duties to provide a Fire Service and for Fire prevention and inspection of premises.To this end,a Draft Establishment Scheme was drawn up - see CFX 1/1/1. The equipment,personnel and premises of the National Fire Service were transferred to the new County force. Accomodation was dilapidated and inadequate; the fire-fighting appliances unsatisfactory - obsolete or of inferior war-time quality; the communications system poor and there was a shortage of men.There were 28 fire stations - 11 of which were manned by part-time firemen; a total establishment of 651 and 160 operational appliances and vehicles.

The County was divided into 5 districts,each with a district headquarters - A District,based at Hyde; B District,based at Wilmslow; C District based at Crewe; E District,based at Ellesmere Port and the County Headquarters at Chester.In 1952,Chester and Ellesmere Port were amalgamated.

A Training School was established at Heswall fire station and a Brigade workshop and stores at Winsford.

Old equipment was replaced - by 1964,there were 241 operational fire-fighting appliances,all of which had been purchased since 1948 and the establishment had been increased to 868.By 1967,12 new fire stations had been built.

In 1974,the County Fire Brigade was re-organised,as part of the general re-organisation of local government,into 3 Divisions - A Division,based at Chester; B Division,based at Warrington and C Division,based at Crewe. It became responsible to the new Fire Brigade and Public Control Committee - CCC1/4/9/1 - and then the Public Protection Committee - CCC1/9/6.