Britain: An official handbook > 1959

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
IOI
affecting the fire brigades as a whole (excluding regulations about conditions of
service and similar matters), each Secretary of State is advised by a Central Fire
Brigades Advisory Council, consisting of representatives of the local authority
associations, representatives of the chief officers (firemasters in Scotland) and other
members of the brigades, and other persons having special qualifications for the
purpose. The Advisory Councils are not concerned with the conditions of service
of members of the brigades. On these subjects the Secretaries of State are advised
by the National Joint Council for Local Authorities’ Fire Brigades in Great Britain
and the National Joint Council for Chief Officers of Local Authorities’ Fire
Brigades in Great Britain.
Central control is also exercised through the inspectors of fire services, whose
duties include advising the Secretaries of State on technical matters. In 1958, there
were 12 inspectors and assistant inspectors in England and Wales and one inspector
and an assistant inspector in Scotland. There was also a woman staff officer.
Establishment Schemes
Each fire authority is required to draw up a scheme showing the establishment
of officers and other ranks (both whole-time and part-time) the number and loca¬
tion of fire stations and the number and type of vehicles and appliances considered
necessary for the provision of an all-over cover of its area. Details of establishment
schemes, which must be approved by the Secretaries of State, vary considerably
according to the fire risks in the area concerned; but in an English county of about
500,000 acres with a mixed urban and rural population of some 750,000, for
example, there might be 30 whole-time and part-time fire stations equipped with
150 vehicles and appliances and served by a whole-time force of approximately
250 and a part-time force of approximately 400 officers and men.
It is the duty of each fire authority to purchase such vehicles and equipment as
are required under the establishment scheme. Equipment is standardised, and
appliances are bought by fire authorities to requirement specifications which ensure
that essential standards are maintained, and yet allow sufficient freedom of design
to meet local requirements and further developments.
Operational Methods
Each fire authority is required to appoint a chief officer (firemaster in Scotland)
to be the chief administrative and executive officer for the fire services in its area.
The appointment must be ratified in England and Wales by the Home Secretary
and in Scotland by the Secretary of State for Scotland. The chief officer or fire-
master is responsible to the fire authority for seeing that both the fire brigade and
the fire department (which is the administrative centre and staff headquarters for
the fire brigade) are organised and managed in accordance with policy laid down.
There is a central headquarters for operational control, which is exercised on a
local basis by divisional officers in charge of geographical divisions into which
most areas are divided for the purpose. Each divisional officer has at his disposal
a small staff of whole-time, and a varying number of part-time, officers and men;
and he is responsible for mobilising this force in the strength necessary for dealing
with any outbreaks of fire in his division. Constant communication is maintained
between divisional and brigade headquarters; and if at any time an outbreak of
fire should grow beyond the capabilities of a divisional force, help is sent from one
or more neighbouring divisions in its area, or even from the area of another fire
authority. Under arrangements for mutual help made by all fire authorities, the
nearest available force is sent to the scene of a fire, regardless of area boundaries.