Fire service historian and author

Roger Mardon

 

 

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The Local Government Act 1992 led to the creation of unitary authorities in some areas of England to act independently of the counties, in much the same way as the old county boroughs had done. The counties of Avon, Cleveland and Humberside, created in 1974, were abolished as local authorities although the names survive with their fire brigades. The changes led to the compulsory establishment of a number of joint fire authorities between the county councils and the new unitary councils that were created between 1996 and 1998, but the number of fire brigades in England (including the Isles of Scilly) remained at 47.

 

Most joint authorities left the name of the fire brigade as it had been since 1974 but two deemed it appropriate to make changes. Those so affected are now know as

 

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire & Rescue Service

County Durham and Darlington Fire & Rescue Service

 

The Greater London Council and the metropolitan county councils of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Tyne & Wear, West Midlands, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire were abolished by the Local Government Act 1985 with effect from 1 April 1986. The fire service in the metropolitan areas became run by joint authorities with members drawn from the London boroughs in Greater London and from the constituent metropolitan districts elsewhere. There were no boundary changes and fire brigades retained their names.

On 1 April 2007 the fire and rescue services in Devon and Somerset combined, to become

 

Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service.

With effect from 1 April 2009, new unitary authorities were created affecting Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire [see here for details]. The constitution of the fire authorities changed in these areas but the territory of the brigades remained unchanged and the new combined fire services continue to operate under the same names.

ENGLAND Changes 1948 - 1974

ENGLAND 1 April 1948

ENGLAND 1 April 1974

ENGLAND Changes 1974 to date

SCOTLAND

WALES

NORTHERN IRELAND

 

For outline maps of the areas covered by today's fire and rescue services in the United Kingdom, see the regional pages in Galleries

On 1 October 2009  Cornwall County Fire Brigade was renamed

 

Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service.