A potted history of the fire brigade

Firefighters have played a crucial role in keeping so many of our ancestors alive and are quite rightly respected for putting their bodies on the line day after day, but how has the discipline developed over time?

While fire detection techniques have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, the task of controlling the spread of flames was not always so well thought out.

People may talk of Nimbies and jobsworths when they see lengthy fire safety guidelines, but it goes without saying that regulations accumulate over time as fire services have dealt with different cases; from the minor kitchen fire to the city-destroying blaze.

Early troubles

The origins of firefighting go back to Ancient times, with the Egyptians forming groups who would deal with such problems and a Machiavellian Roman named Marcus Licinius Crassus making a pretty penny out of charging for his fire brigade's services.

It was not until around the first century AD that London got around to organising such a force and even then it was not especially effective. Naturally, a lot of buildings were made of wood back then, so a blaze could easily take out rows of houses at a time.

The Great Fire of London

While the capital suffered a number of horrific fires in the ensuing years, it was not until the Great Fire of London in 1666 that there was a public outcry over the lack of available protection.

From then until the 1800s, a number of entrepreneurial souls set up private fire brigades that would check the building for a firemark - meaning they had paid - before helping to fight the flames. Elsewhere, voluntary and paid positions were set up around the country depending on the funds available.

The Modern Force

In many ways the modern fire brigade was born in 1938 when the Fire Brigades Act was passed, which compelled cities and boroughs to provide fire protection. This legislation has since been repealed and replaced by The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 after several updates.

The UK currently has 63 fire brigades including independent fire authorities and forces under the control of local authorities. With advances in communication, water provision and tactical decisions, they have never been more effective in the way they watch over the UK public.