63AD. "Vigilies" appointed by Roman Emperor Augustus, they were to look out for fires during the night on the streets of Londinium. The Vigilies were the first organized Firefighters in London and lasted for 400 years until the Romans left in
440AD.
London was then left without any organized Firefighting for over 1200 years.
1212
London Bridge burned down with an alleged loss of 12000 people, this was known as the Great Fire of London until 1666.
1556
110 Years before the Great Fire of London II, Bellmen were employed to walk the streets of London at night and to raise the alarm if a fire was spotted.
1666
The Great Fire of London started in a Bakers shop in Pudding Lane in the City of London. The fire spread to 13,200 houses and 87 churches over an area of 423 acres. This was 4/5 of London at the time.
1667
First Fire Insurance Company Established.
1668
Common Council divided London into 4 areas; each was to have 800 Leather Buckets, 50 Ladders 24 Hatchets and 40 Shovels.
1680
First Fire Brigade formed by Insurance Company.
1708
Parish Pumpers act was passed by Parliament; this included the first ever Fire Prevention Legislation for building regulations and the establishment of Fire Brigades.
1774
City of London has 218 Fire Engines; there are 80 in the rest of London.
1833
London Fire Engine Establishment formed. This was an amalgamation of 10 Insurance Company Fire Brigades; James Braidwood became the first ever London Fire Chief, commanding 19 Fire Stations and 80 Men.
1836
Formation of the Royal Society for Protection of Life from Fire. They positioned Fire Escape Ladders throughout the streets of London; they were wheeled to Fires by volunteers to assist in the rescue of people trapped by fire.
1860
First Steam powered Fire Engine introduced to London.
1861
Massive Fire on the River Thames at Tooley Street. Among others James Braidwood was killed. Captain sir Eyre Massey Shaw took over the running of the Brigade. His involvement with Royalty and the aristocracy in London earned him the title of "The Fire King"
1865
The Metropolitan FireBrigade act is passed. The London Fire Engine Establishment becomes the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The MFB takes over all parishes, insurance and volunteer Fire Brigades in London.
1866
Metropolitan Fire Brigade introduces Standard Uniform across London including the coned Brass Helmet.
1867
MFB take over street Escape Ladders, both engine and Ladder operations were now the responsibility of the MFB. As a result the distinction between the two ended. London Firemen carried out all tasks now, where as there US counterparts still work with separate Engine Companies and Ladder Companies to this day. The first Telegraph system was introduced to London's Fire Stations.
1871
After a Fireman was killed at a Fire in Grays Inn Road in London, Public outcry forced the Metropolitan Board of Works were forced to pay the widow a pension. This was subsequently withdrawn after a public fund 'raised too much for her'.
1880
Telephones and street alarm boxes introduced to London.
1882
Alhambra Theatre fire, The Prince of Wales, who was an amateur Fireman was almost killed as a wall collapsed in the fire.
1889
London County Council formed; they take responsibility over from the Metropolitan Board of Works. The Brigade had 57 Fire Stations and 4 River Stations staffed by 800 men.
1891
Captain Shaw retires from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
1897
Wheeled Escape Ladders are now mounted on horse-drawn Trailers. The MFB were attending 10 Fires per day.
1902
After a Multi Fatal fire in Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, Hook ladders and longer Escape ladders were introduced as a result of ladders not being able to reach upper floors during the fire.
1904
Metropolitan Fire Brigade is re-named. The London Fire Brigade is born. The first motorized Fire Engines were introduces in this year.
1905
The first Turntable ladders were introduced, they reached a height of 82ft.
1913
London now has 85 Stations and 3 River Stations; Breathing Apparatus is used for the first time.
1914-18 World War I
One fifth of the LFB is recalled for naval service, a number of bombs were dropped on London.
1918
7 Firemen were killed in a Fire at Albert Embankment (where LFB HQ was later built). This is the greatest ever number of London Firefighters killed in a single incident in peacetime.
1920
2 Watch system introduced, for the fist time the Firefighters were not on duty all the time, they now worked a 72-hour week.
1921
The last Horse draw appliance is taken out of service, this was at Kensington Fire Station in West London.
1933
London's new Fire HQ Built on the banks of the Thames at Albert Embankment, Lambeth.
1934
Introduction of the first British 'Dual Purpose Appliance' A pump which also carried an escape Ladder. This is the forerunner to the modern British Fire Engine. All of the front-line Fire Engines in the UK are fitted with a fire pump and carry ladders, water, hose, and a whole host of Rescue Equipment.
1936
Crystal Palace Fire. The giant glass palace built after the great exhibition burns to the ground. The Fire in the palace situated on Anerly Hill in South London could be seen from most of the Capital.
1939 to 1945 World War II
The ranks of London's Firemen are swollen by the introduction of 23,000 Auxiliary Firemen and Women. Women did not carry out any Firefighting but were used as Control Officers, Drivers and Dispatch Riders; many of them laid down their life along side their Male counterparts. As well as the usual Fire Stations there were 300 Auxiliary Fire Stations set up in Schools, Garages etc. Trailer Pumps were provided and hundreds of London Taxi's were commandeered to tow them to fires. After a year of the so-called 'phony' war, the Blitz began on 7th September 1940 and lasted for 57 consecutive nights. On 29th December 1940 a Firebomb attack on Central London caused the next Great Fire of London. Almost the entire City burned to the Ground with the exception of St Paul's Cathedral, which stood miraculously untouched in the middle of this firestorm.
On the night of 10th/11th May 1941 there was the last massive Blitz attack on London, 17 Firemen were killed in a Direct hit at St George's Circus in South London. Less than a week later on 17th May the beginning of the end of the London Blitz began. In August 1941 the National Fire Service was created. All equipment, ranks, organization and procedures were standardized across the UK. This was the forefather of the High Standard of Fire Service in the UK today. The fact that a fire engine and Crew from right down in Cornwall can Drive up to the tip of Scotland and use the same equipment, hoses, hydrants and so on is down to this standardization. June 1944, Heavy V1 Rocket attacks launched on London. This saw the birth of Heavy Rescue within the Capital, As well as Firefighting, crews were involved in Collapse rescue as whole streets were being flattened in one hit, these were added to by the introduction of the much more powerful V2 rocket in September. In May 1945 World War Two ended. Hundreds of Thousands of Londoners had been killed by the Air Attacks including many hundreds of Firemen.
1948
National Fire Service disbanded. Control of the London Fire Brigade was returned to the LCC. There was a 3 Watch system in operation. Red Watch, White Watch and Blue Watch. Each worked 2 days followed by 2 nights then had 2 days off.
1958
Smithfield Meat Market Fire. The massive fire in the basement of the market killed 2 Firefighters who ran out of air in their BA sets. This saw the introduction of one of the most advanced and strict Breathing Apparatus Control systems in the world. This plays no small part in why the UK enjoys one of the lowest Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths numbers in the World. The last street alarm box was also removed in this year following the introduction of the '999' Telephone system.
1965
The Greater London Council was created. The political Boundaries of London were expanded to make London now at 620 Sq. Miles one of the biggest Cities in the World. The LFB also expanded to meet the boundaries of the new city. We took over The entire Croydon, Middlesex, East Ham and West Ham Fire Brigades, as well as Stations from Essex, Kent, Surrey and Hertfordshire. With 115 Stations and 8000 Personnel, London became and remains one of the Worlds biggest Fire Brigades. London is now organized into 11 Divisions 'A' to 'L' Divisions.
1968
Firemen Hutchins and Comber from A27 Chelsea killed at a Restaurant Fire in Kings Road.
1969
Five Firemen from F22 Poplar and F23 Millwall killed at an oil tank explosion at Dugeons Wharf, Millwall East London. Station Officer Snelling of F22 Poplar awarded the British Empire Medal for his actions at the incident. 21Yr old Fm Lee killed in a wall collapse at a fire in Shoreditch.
1971
One of the most successful Fires in London's history. Over 50 people, many of them foreign tourists were rescued from a massive fire in the Leinster Gardens Hotel in Bayswater. Crews from most of London's 'A' Division Stations were involved in Ladder rescues in the early stages of the fire. Not a single life was lost at this fire as every single trapped person was rescued.
1974
Fireman Harry Petit from A21 Paddington was killed at another Hotel Fire in Maida Vale, West London. Again 10's of people were rescued although this time at a price, a collapse seriously injured 3 and killed one Firemen. Newsreader Gordon Honeycombe wrote the book 'Red Watch' about this fire.
1975
The Moorgate Train Crash. Chief Fire Officer Joe Milner, described as " My thousand selfless heroes" the 1000 London Firemen who battled for 5 days to free the dying and injured from this tube train that had ploughed into a dead end tunnel at high speed. FF Richard Furlong (who was later based at F22 Poplar as Station Officer) received the British Empire Medal for his actions at this incident.
1976
The Long hot summer f 1976 saw London's busiest year so far. As well as the fact that a lot of derelict properties were being burned in the 70's and 80's. Almost every patch of green in London Burned as temperatures hit the high 90's, and no rain fell for months.
1977
This bleak year saw the first National Fireman's Strike. Bad pay and Conditions forced the Firemen out of the doors for 9 weeks. One slogan seen at the time was " Fireman dies for
