'A' (West End), 'D' (West London), 'G' (North West London) and 'J' (North London) mobilised from Wembley (the former Middlesex headquarters); 'B' (Central London south of the river), 'E' (South East London and Kent), 'H' (South London and Surrey) and 'K' (South West London south of the river and Surrey) mobilised from Croydon (the former Croydon County Borough headquarters); finally, 'C' (City and Inner East London), 'F' (East London including Docklands) and 'L' (North East London and South West Essex), mobilised from Stratford (the former West Ham County Borough headquarters). With the advent of mixed-sex control rooms, the title was changed to Senior Fire Control Operator (SFCOp). A Sub-Officer was usually in charge of a small one-pump fire station or a watch in a larger station. Below is a complete listing, as of 2014, of the 102 fire stations of the London Fire Brigade according to district and station radio callsign. jackets. [56], In 2016, the LFB announced they would be replacing the older-generation (currently used) Mercedes-Benz Atego pump appliances with brand new Mercedes-Benz Ategos which include new features such as: an improved 'crew cab' for the comfort and safety of firefighters, new high-pressure hoses which can deliver twice as much water as previous models, a brand new electronically-controlled pump, and a more economical and environment-friendly EURO VI engine, which will be compatible with London's low-emission zones. In all three services of the Chilean Armed Forces, in the Carabineros de Chile and in the Chilean Gendarmerie, only two sub-officer ranks are used: These sub-officer ranks are the same in all the military and police services. Additionally, a major incident can lead to the government activating its coordination facility, known as COBR. Changing to a rank based structure will be more efficient and improve fire cover. The creation of the Greater London Council in 1965 saw the number of LFB stations increase. [23], The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 changed many working practices;[24] it was brought in to replace the Fire Services Act 1947 and repealed several existing acts, many going back fifty years. Richard Mills, Deputy Commissioner and Director of Operational Delivery, Sue Budden, Director of Corporate Services, Fiona Dolman, Director for Transformation, Protecting historical buildings and heritage in London, #SprinklersHit - Contact your MP about sprinklers, Breathing apparatus (BA) cylinder testing, Urban Search and Rescue & International Search and Rescue, Environmental Information Regulations searches, Grenfell Tower Investigation and Review Team (GTIRT), Covid-19 and Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs), Portable heaters, gas fires and open fires, Fire Risk Assessments – your responsibilities, Business Reopening Fire Risk Assessment Checklist after Covid19, Business Emergency Evacuation Plan Coronavirus, Coronavirus: Protecting your business from arson, Coronavirus Fire Alarms and Safety Systems, Large landlords – LAs, social landlords and private blocks, Living above business premises fire safety guide, Fire safety in heritage and historical buildings, Emergency Response and Salvage Plans for heritage buildings, Fire retardant bedding and portable protective systems. Meet Richard Mills, Deputy Commissioner and Director of Operational Delivery, Sue Budden, Director of Corporate Services, Meet Andy Roe, the new Commissioner of London Fire Brigade, Tim is London Fire Brigade's Director for People, Richard Mills, Deputy Commissioner and Director of Operational Delivery, Fiona Dolman, Director for Transformation, Protecting historical buildings and heritage in London, #SprinklersHit - Contact your MP about sprinklers, Breathing apparatus (BA) cylinder testing, Urban Search and Rescue & International Search and Rescue, Environmental Information Regulations searches, Grenfell Tower Investigation and Review Team (GTIRT), Covid-19 and Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs), Portable heaters, gas fires and open fires, Fire Risk Assessments – your responsibilities, Business Reopening Fire Risk Assessment Checklist after Covid19, Business Emergency Evacuation Plan Coronavirus, Coronavirus: Protecting your business from arson, Coronavirus Fire Alarms and Safety Systems, Large landlords – LAs, social landlords and private blocks, Living above business premises fire safety guide, Fire safety in heritage and historical buildings, Emergency Response and Salvage Plans for heritage buildings, Fire retardant bedding and portable protective systems. [42], In 2015/16, the average response time for the first appliance to the scene was 5 minutes 33 seconds (6 minute target), and the second appliance to the scene was 6 minutes 55 seconds (8 minute target).[6]. One fire engine should arrive at "D" risks within 20 minutes. In 2012, the LFB purchased five Mini Countrymans for conversion into instant response vehicles. The Northern District serves the following boroughs of London: Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington, the City of Westminster and the City of London. The Eastern District serves the following boroughs of London: Barking and Dagenham, Hackney There are currently 21 fire stations in the Western District. Browse all the latest jobs at London Fire Brigade on our careers site. incident of up to 6 pumps or undertake specialist tasks as support at an incident. It recommended radical changes to many working procedures and led to a national firefighter strike in 2002–2003. On country-wide issues, the Chief Fire Officers Association provides the collective voice on fire, rescue and resilience issues. [5], In the 2015-16 financial year the LFB received 171,488 emergency calls. ILN. take charge of incidents of 10 pumps or more. A "major incident" is defined as any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or more of London's emergency services and will generally include the involvement, either directly or indirectly, of large numbers of people. Further changes to the legislative, organisational and structural fabric of the brigade, which could include varying the attendance time, the location of frontline appliances and number of personnel, plus mandatory performance targets, priorities and objectives are set by the MHCLG in the form of a document called the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework. The full scope of the brigade's duties and powers is enshrined in the Fire and Rescue Act 2005. For other uses, see, Firefighting, special services and fire prevention, Communities and Local Government News Release 099, 24 May 2007, New Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Appointed. individuals are on station. We've got advice on how to stay safe from fire when you're spending more time at home, and the latest news about our work with our blue light family

Ongoing training – both theoretical and practical – continues throughout the firefighter's career.

In 2010/11, the LFB made 70,016 home fire safety visits. Historical images. The LFB has been training firefighters at its current Grade 2 listed building in Southwark since 1878. Responsibility for the rest of the UK fire service is devolved to the various parliaments and assemblies. In 2010/11, the LFB handled a total of 212,657 emergency calls, including 5,241 hoax calls (although it only mobilised to 2,248 of those malicious false alarms).

A call to, say, a large warehouse ablaze could be escalated straight to a ten-pump fire. Around 55 stations are also assigned one additional pump. It is now responsible for fire and resilience in England, including London. [16], Historically, the London Fire Brigade was organised into two divisions: Northern and Southern, divided in most places by the River Thames and each commanded by a Divisional Officer. Images. During the same period, it dealt with 13,367 major fires. The LFB, along with all other UK fire and rescue services, determines the size of a fire or special service by the final number of appliances mobilised to deal with it. The two-seat cars are fitted with six extinguishers (two each of water, foam and powder), plus a first-aid kit and defibrillator, and may be deployed to investigate aic alarms actuating and smaller fires such as those in rubbish bins which do not require a full-sized engine and crew. [65] By 1965 the LFB had 115 stations, plus two river stations. It is the second largest in size, after the national Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and has the largest number of full-time firefighters. Images of history. There are currently 19 fire stations in the Southeastern District. The LFB is the busiest of all the fire services in the United Kingdom. In 2010/11, the average response time of the first appliance to the scene was 5 minutes 34 seconds (6 minute target), and the second appliance was 6 minutes 53 seconds (8 minute target). Divisional Officer; A London Fire Brigade rank, the immediate superior of an ADO and subordinate to the Assistant Chief Officer. At the time there were a handful of smaller brigades: Middlesex, Croydon, West Ham and East Ham – they were all incorporated into the LFB. Working patterns were the subject of scrutiny in Professor Bain's Independent Review of the Fire Service. The officer-in-charge can request additional appliances by transmitting a radio message such as, "make pumps four", or if persons are believed to be involved or trapped, "make pumps four, persons reported". [51], Pumping appliances can only operate with a minimum crew of four, and a maximum of six (although this is rare) so it is possible to estimate the number of firefighters attending an incident by multiplying the number of pumps by five. The King's Cross fire in 1987 was a 30-pump fire,[50] as was the blaze in numerous shops on Oxford Street in April 2007. ", "BBC ON THIS DAY – 28 – 1975: Horror underground", "The Dudgeons Wharf Explosion.... 17th July 1969", "Austin Macauley Publishers -- Books, eBooks & audiobooks", "Mary Evans Picture Library.

Around half of all serious fires occur in the home, and many house fires attended by the LFB no smoke alarm was fitted, despite the LFB fitting tens of thousands in homes every year. As demands grew on the primitive firefighting units they began to coordinate and co-operate with each other until, on 1 January 1833, the London Fire Engine Establishment was formed under the leadership of James Braidwood, who had founded the first professional, municipal fire brigade in Edinburgh. The London Fire Brigade, along with many UK fire and rescue services adopted a change in rank structure in 2006. [35], The agreement followed two 8-hour daytime strikes by the FBU[36] in protest at the LFB's intention to change the shift pattern from two 9-hour day shifts then two 15-hour night shifts followed by three days off, to two 12-hour day shifts then two 12-hour night shifts followed by four days off. [33], After training school, firefighters serve a one-year period of probation; qualification and full pay are not reached until the candidate completes a development folder which usually takes around 12–18 months. The LFB is divided into five districts, each designated by a letter of the alphabet: the Northern District Command is designated as "A"; the Southeastern District Command is designated as "E"; the Eastern District Command is designated as "F"; the Western District Command is designated as "G"; the Southwestern District Command is designated as "H".[55].

Examples of 25-pump fires include the blaze at Alexandra Palace in 1980,[49] and at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Chelsea in 2008, the latter also involving four aerial appliances. The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 was a 40-pump fire. The Southeastern District Command is designated as "E" or "Echo". Is firefighting the right career for you? As of 2016, the LFB's frontline operational fleet consists of: The programme of improvements in staffing and equipment undertaken by the LFB since the September 11 attacks to improve London's resilience and its capability to deal with major emergencies, including the threat of terrorism has included: ten Incident Response Units; two Scientific Support Units; four different types of urban search and rescue (USAR) vehicles and ten USAR personnel carriers; three mass decontamination resilience units; and six equipment carriers known as Operational Support Units.[58].