Fire services in the United Kingdom facts for kids

The fire service in the United Kingdom helps keep people safe from fires and other dangers. It works a bit differently in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Each part of the UK has its own rules for how the fire service is set up and managed.

What are Fire Services?

In the UK, fire services are groups of people who respond to emergencies. They are often called fire and rescue services. Sometimes people still use the older name, fire brigades. Most services are named after their area, like "Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service". However, a few still use "Fire Brigade", such as the London Fire Brigade.

How Fire Services are Organized

• England: Each county or large city usually has its own fire service. Some services might even cover two counties.
• Wales: This country has three main fire services.
• Scotland: Since 2013, Scotland has had just one fire service for the whole country.
• Northern Ireland: This area has also had one fire service since 1973.

How Firefighters Work

There are two main types of firefighters who help people:

• Wholetime firefighters: These are firefighters who work full-time. They usually work shifts, including both day and night. When they are on duty, they wait at the fire station. They are ready to be called out to an emergency at any moment. You will find wholetime firefighters mostly in towns and cities. In very large cities, all firefighters work full-time.

• Retained firefighters: These firefighters do not work full-time for the fire service. Many have other jobs during the day. However, they are paid to be on call for long periods. When an emergency call comes in, they drive to the fire station in their own cars. Then, they get into the fire engine and head to the emergency. In villages, most firefighters are retained. Some fire stations, especially in medium-sized towns, have both wholetime and retained firefighters.

Different Ways Fire Stations are Staffed

Some fire stations are day-crewed. This means wholetime firefighters cover the station during the day. At night, retained firefighters take over. A few places also have volunteer firefighters. These are like retained firefighters, but they do not get paid for their work.

Firefighter Teams and Ranks

Wholetime firefighters work in a group called a 'watch'. A watch is usually 5 to 15 firefighters. They all work the same hours at the same fire station. These watches are often named after colours, like "Red Watch" or "Blue Watch".

The fire service also has different ranks for its members. These ranks show who is in charge. From the lowest rank to the highest, they usually are:

• Firefighter
• Crew Manager
• Watch Manager
• Station Manager
• Group/Area Manager
• Assistant Chief Fire Officer
• Deputy Chief Fire Officer
• Chief Fire Officer

Images for kids

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  A fire engine of the London Fire Brigade, one of the largest services.

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  Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service in action.

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  A 1951 Dennis P12 fire engine from the Wiltshire Fire Brigade.

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  A Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighter training in a smoke house.

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  A London Fire Brigade station at Romford.

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  A graph showing fire injuries and deaths in the UK from 1981–82 to 2014-15.

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  A graph showing the number of fires in the UK from 1999–00 to 2014-15.

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  A fire engine at Manchester Airport.

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  A van from the Royal Household Fire Service, which protects Buckingham Palace.

See also

In Spanish: Servicio de bomberos en el Reino Unido para niños