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Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service

The Area covered by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
Area Covered:	All of Tyne and Wear
Neighbouring Fire Serivce	County Durham and Darlington
Year Formed:	1974
Location of HQ:	Nissan Way, Washinton
No. Of Stations:	17
Chief Fire Officer	Richard Bull
Brigade Motto	"Creating the Safest Community"

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service formely 'Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade' is the Fire Service which covers the area of Tyne and Wear, England. The Chief Fire Officer of the Fire and Rescue Service is Richard Bull. The Services' motto is 'Creating the safest Community'

History

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service was formed in 1974, many years earlier in 1938 under the Fire Brigade act it became a requirement for all areas to have an official Fire Brigade. Before it existed, the Service was made up of smaller Services then later became one large Service. In approximately 2003 the name of the Fire and Rescue Service was changed from Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, apparently because it gives more detail in to the work of the Fire Brigade.

Stations

There are many Fire Stations part of the Tyne and Wear Brigade. Many Modern Stations have been built but some remain older. Most of the Newly built Fire Stations have three or four Appliance Bays (Main doors for Fire Engine exit) and some older ones may only have two, or possibly even 1 Appliance Bay. Here is a list of some of the Stations operated by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Birtley Community Fire Station

This Fire station was built in 1992 and is located on Durham Road. This station has two Appliance Bay and Covers the area of Birtley and some areas of the Team Valley as well as some Countryside areas near Birtley. This Station has one Volvo Fire Appliance and one Dennis Appliance, When Gateshead Community Fire station was being built (now complete) the Turntable Fire Engine was placed at Birtley but has been moved back to the newly built Gateshead Fire station. Station Call Sign: Whisky

Gateshead Community Fire Station

This Station was built in 2005 and officialy opened in mid-2006; the Station is located on Dryden Road In Low Fell. it covers the Gateshead area and some others just outside Gateshead. The Station has four Appliance Bays and the Main doors are painted with Grey then a Red triangle painted over the Grey, this is the new style for Fire Stations in that area. The Station has two Volvo Fire Appliances, one Turntable Fire Engine which is not used on every call. The fourth appliance is the Operational Support appliance which is for certain types of calls only and carries different tools to normal Fire engines. Station Call Sign Victor

Chopwell Community Fire Station

Chopwell Fire Station was built in the Nineteen-seventies and is located on Derwent Street In Chopwell. This Fire station only has one Fire Appliance and is operated by Part-Time Firefighters.

There are many other Fire Stations in operation with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. For a full list of these you can visit: http://www.twfire.co.uk/index.asp?pgid=4250

Watches

There are diffrent Watches in the Fire Service, when a Firefighter is recruited they will be told which Watch they will be with for the rest of their career. Their is a Red, White, Blue and Green Watch but these are on duty at separate times of the Day/Night.

Dennis/Volvo Fire Appliances

Originally the Brigade used Dennis Specialist Vehicles Fire Appliances, these were a very square shape but they were an efficent Vehicle for use. Over time the Service saw less Dennis Appliances and Volvo Appliances became more Popular, these were a very Rounded shape and except for that looked very much the same. Over the last few years The Service used more Dennis Appliances and it is now a variation of Volvo and Dennis Appliances, Whether or not Dennis Appliances are to fully replace Volvo Appliances is unknown. Modern Dennis Appliances are still quite square but look better that they did years ago.

Fire Station/Appliance Designs

Most of the newly built Tyne and Wear Fire station are built using a Grey material instead of the Original Bricks, this makes them look more modern and if it gets Dirty it can be cleaned easily unlike bricks. The Appliance Bay Doors on Modern Fire stations as mentioned above are now Grey with a Red Triangle on them unlike the traditional plain Red doors on older Fire Station. The Reason for this change is unknown, it maybe have been to add a modern look to the Fire station. Whether other Fire Services in the UK are doing this is unknown but it is a step being made by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, this making them unique.

Fire Applainces have six side shutters altogether. Three on one side and three on the other, the middle Shutter is always about half the size of the others, this is because of the Wheel arch size. There is also a cupboard on the back of the Appliance which protects/covers the Delivery areas for the Water being dispensed from the Appliance. The Markings on the rear are Red and Yellow large stripes going down diagnally for high visibility from behind. There are also Emergency Blue lights on the back of the appliance, In the order of:

            Blue     Red                       (Delivery Cupboard)                      Red    Blue

The Ladders are on the top of the Appliance face at approximatewly a 30 degree Angle Upwards. on Dennis and Volvo Appliacnes their is a bumper on the front which is painted with Red and White]] Diagnoal Stripes. Along the side of the doors are three White Stripes. On the Front of the Appliance (underneath the Windscreen) is normally two small square or rectangular blue lights, one at the left and one at the right. On the shutters normally nearest the rear delivery area (on both sides) there is normally a Fire safety advert such as: FIRE KILLS: YOU CAN PREVENT IT! The main Appliance light bar is normally a long rectangular shape blue light, sometimes these have a break in the middle so a sign such as FIRE can be written, on other Appliances it is just one light bar. On Appliances before the new Millenium some Engines had two Hat Shaped light bars, Instead of rectangular ones, nowadays It is all rectangular Light bars. Above the Side Shutters there are normally two powerful floodlights, inbetween them there is text reading 'Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade' or on newer Appliances 'Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service'

Uniform

The Service obviously has a Uniform Policy, when not out on calls FireFighters wear A Navy Blue Polo Shirt with the words 'Fire and Rescue' written in red. Navy Blue trousers have to be worn as well. When attending 999 calls their kit is Light yellow with darker stripes at the top, with Black Boots and a hard Yellow Helmet, the Station Officer wears a White Helmet while on calls.

Community Fire Stations

Recently Fire Services across the UK have become involved in Community issues in an effort to be known by the Community and to make Tyne and Wear safe. The Intention of Community Fire Stations was to use them (as well as for the obvious purpose) as meeting Places to discuss Fire Related Issues, as well as offer facilities for local people to receive Fire safety Information if they want it. The Fire Brigade also do School Visits, unfortunately Open days are not as common with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Serivce as they used to be - although they always used to bring in a lot of attention.

Gallery of Tyne and Wear Fire Engines/Appliances

• A Volvo Fire Appliance. A Volvo Fire Appliance.
• Side view of another Volvo Appliance.
• Turntable Fire Engine

See also

• Fire service in the United Kingdom
• Fire apparatus
• Fire station

External links

• Welcome Official Site of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
• Official Site of the FIRE KILLS: YOU CAN PREVENT IT! Campaign.

1. REDIRECT tyne and wear fire and rescue service