Short history of Fire Watchers and the Fire Guard Organisation during WW2
July 1935 - the Home Office issues guidance to local authorities for the recruitment of volunteers to serve as unpaid and in a part-time capacity as wardens' rescue workers and first aid attendants.
1937 - Air Raids Precautions (ARP) Act 1937, introduction of the ‘Emergency Fire Service Organisation' (later to be Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS)) and the ‘Air Raid Wardens’ Service’
1937 - ‘Memorandum on Emergency Fire Brigades Organisation’ created ‘Supplementary Fire Parties’ (SFP) at ‘watching or fire posts’. Trained volunteers (in small 3- to 5- man teams) armed with stirrup pumps to tackle small fires and incendiary devices. Controlled by the Air Raid Wardens’ Service
April 1940 - Fire Authorities selected, trained and organised ‘Supplementary Fire Parties’ (issued with SFP armbands)
September 1940 - Fire Watchers Order made it compulsory for owners/occupiers of commercial and business premises to have fire watchers on duty at all times. Trained to deal with small fires and request assistance from local fire brigade
October 1940 - Access to Property Order granted to Wardens and others the right of access to private dwellings and commercial buildings to tackle incendiary bombs
December 1940 - Second Great Fire of London showed previous legislation was not up to the needs of the Luftwaffe bombing campaign
January 1941 – compulsory recruitment of civilian men and women to join part-time fire watching and fire party duties. Addition powers given to Local Authorities to create and organise schemes
February - the Wardens' Service became responsible for the recruitment, training and organising of fire watchers
Early 1941 - Fire Watchers Order replaced by the ‘Fire Precaution (Business Premises) Order’. Local authorities required to arrange plans for detecting and extinguishing fires in prescribed premises and industrial districts. Compulsory for all males 16 to 60 to register for part time duty of 48 hours per month.
August 1941 – National Fire Service (NFS) created by the amalgamation of the wartime Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and the local authority fire brigades (about 1,600 of them)
August 1941, ‘Fire Guard Organisation’ formed under the supervision of the Wardens’ Service. Organised on a national basis with rank structure under the control of the local Chief Warden. Introduction of ‘Fire Guard Depots’ and full-time paid positions that organised volunteer ‘Street Fire Parties’. ‘Fire Guard’ armbands replaced ‘SFP’ ones.
January 1942 - Chief Wardens officially headed up the local Fire Guard service
May 1942 - compulsory recruitment into Fire Guard duties. Every civilian not already engaged in Civil Defence duties now eligible for duty with Street Fire Parties.
February 1943 - ‘Fire Guard Plan’ enforced Fire Prevention Orders introduced for designated premises. Fire Guards to tackle fires in early stages, report outbreaks of fire and summon the NFS when necessary
1943 - each NFS station divided into ‘Fire Guard Sectors’, under a Fire Guard Sector Captain. Each sector sub-divided into ‘Street Party Areas’ of 20-30 Fire Guards in teams of three. Local ‘Fire Guard Depots’ used for administration and equipment storage
April 1943 - Fire Guard organisation established as a separate service. A Local Authority Fire Guard Officer replaced both the Chief Warden and the Fire Guard Staff Officer as head of the service. Rank structure updated with whole-time paid ‘Fire Guard Area Officers’ part-time unpaid ‘Area Captains’, ‘Sector Captains’, ‘Block Leaders’ and ‘Street Party Leaders’.
Compulsory service for men was extended to 63 years of age and voluntary enrolment for men between the age of 16 to 70 and for women 18 to 60.
December 1943 - some 6 million people enrolled in the Fire Guard organisation.
13 June 1944 – fall of V1s but Allied push into occupied Europe saw a lessening of the risk of air raids. In areas no longer under threat, the Wardens’ Service again took over responsibility for reporting fires. Day time Fire Watching duties at the majority of business premises relaxed
6 September 1944 - substantial reductions in the Civil Defence Organization except in London and the southern / eastern areas of England
2 May 1945 - the whole Civil Defence organisation stood down and disbanded
1937 - Air Raids Precautions (ARP) Act 1937, introduction of the ‘Emergency Fire Service Organisation' (later to be Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS)) and the ‘Air Raid Wardens’ Service’
1937 - ‘Memorandum on Emergency Fire Brigades Organisation’ created ‘Supplementary Fire Parties’ (SFP) at ‘watching or fire posts’. Trained volunteers (in small 3- to 5- man teams) armed with stirrup pumps to tackle small fires and incendiary devices. Controlled by the Air Raid Wardens’ Service
April 1940 - Fire Authorities selected, trained and organised ‘Supplementary Fire Parties’ (issued with SFP armbands)
September 1940 - Fire Watchers Order made it compulsory for owners/occupiers of commercial and business premises to have fire watchers on duty at all times. Trained to deal with small fires and request assistance from local fire brigade
October 1940 - Access to Property Order granted to Wardens and others the right of access to private dwellings and commercial buildings to tackle incendiary bombs
December 1940 - Second Great Fire of London showed previous legislation was not up to the needs of the Luftwaffe bombing campaign
January 1941 – compulsory recruitment of civilian men and women to join part-time fire watching and fire party duties. Addition powers given to Local Authorities to create and organise schemes
February - the Wardens' Service became responsible for the recruitment, training and organising of fire watchers
Early 1941 - Fire Watchers Order replaced by the ‘Fire Precaution (Business Premises) Order’. Local authorities required to arrange plans for detecting and extinguishing fires in prescribed premises and industrial districts. Compulsory for all males 16 to 60 to register for part time duty of 48 hours per month.
August 1941 – National Fire Service (NFS) created by the amalgamation of the wartime Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) and the local authority fire brigades (about 1,600 of them)
August 1941, ‘Fire Guard Organisation’ formed under the supervision of the Wardens’ Service. Organised on a national basis with rank structure under the control of the local Chief Warden. Introduction of ‘Fire Guard Depots’ and full-time paid positions that organised volunteer ‘Street Fire Parties’. ‘Fire Guard’ armbands replaced ‘SFP’ ones.
January 1942 - Chief Wardens officially headed up the local Fire Guard service
May 1942 - compulsory recruitment into Fire Guard duties. Every civilian not already engaged in Civil Defence duties now eligible for duty with Street Fire Parties.
February 1943 - ‘Fire Guard Plan’ enforced Fire Prevention Orders introduced for designated premises. Fire Guards to tackle fires in early stages, report outbreaks of fire and summon the NFS when necessary
1943 - each NFS station divided into ‘Fire Guard Sectors’, under a Fire Guard Sector Captain. Each sector sub-divided into ‘Street Party Areas’ of 20-30 Fire Guards in teams of three. Local ‘Fire Guard Depots’ used for administration and equipment storage
April 1943 - Fire Guard organisation established as a separate service. A Local Authority Fire Guard Officer replaced both the Chief Warden and the Fire Guard Staff Officer as head of the service. Rank structure updated with whole-time paid ‘Fire Guard Area Officers’ part-time unpaid ‘Area Captains’, ‘Sector Captains’, ‘Block Leaders’ and ‘Street Party Leaders’.
Compulsory service for men was extended to 63 years of age and voluntary enrolment for men between the age of 16 to 70 and for women 18 to 60.
December 1943 - some 6 million people enrolled in the Fire Guard organisation.
13 June 1944 – fall of V1s but Allied push into occupied Europe saw a lessening of the risk of air raids. In areas no longer under threat, the Wardens’ Service again took over responsibility for reporting fires. Day time Fire Watching duties at the majority of business premises relaxed
6 September 1944 - substantial reductions in the Civil Defence Organization except in London and the southern / eastern areas of England
2 May 1945 - the whole Civil Defence organisation stood down and disbanded
