LOCAL AUTHORITY FIRE BRIGADES (and FORMER FIRE BRIGADES) WITHIN GREATER MANCHESTER
NOTES:
This list includes names of all individual brigades known to have existed in the Greater Manchester region. The majority were operating up until World War II, unless absorbed into larger authorities before World War II (eg Castleton) or disbanded and their area covered by a different brigade through agreement (eg Milnrow)
The Fire Brigades Act of 1938 required all local authorities to make arrangements for providing fire cover, this led to the formation of some new brigades at that time (eg Stretford & Urmston 1939) though in some areas cover was provided by a larger, neighbouring brigade
Between 1939 and 1941 local authorities also had to provide an “Auxiliary Fire Service” (AFS), even, in some cases, where there was no existing “regular” brigade (eg Abram)
On 18th August 1941 all local authority “regular” brigades and AFS units were amalgamated to became part of the National Fire Service
During the period 1939-45 numerous additional, temporary fire stations were in operation, either Auxiliary Fire Service (1939-1941) or National Fire Service (1941-1945 approx). Following the end of hostilities in 1945, NFS wind-down saw a reduction in fire cover back to peace-time levels
On 1st April 1948 the NFS was wound up and fire services reverted to local authority control. However, most of the smaller brigades were not re-formed. Locally this meant that only the eight “county borough” fire brigades (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport and Wigan) were re-constituted. All other areas were instead served by the relevant stations of Cheshire County Fire Brigade and Lancashire County Fire Brigade
From 1st April 1974 these ten local fire services were amalgamated into the new Greater Manchester Fire Service(GMC) (also including its various, later names)
HIGHLIGHTED NAMES : see individual histories on these webpages
BRIGADE/AUTHORITY NOTES
ABRAM WWII Auxiliary Fire Service only (1939-1941)
ALTRINCHAM Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
ATHERTON Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
BLACKROD
BROUGHTON Taken over by Salford 1871
CASTLETON Taken over by Rochdale 1900
CHEADLE & GATLEY Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
CRUMPSALL Taken over by Manchester FB 1890
DENTON
DROYLSDEN WWII Auxiliary Fire Service only (1939-1941)
DUKINFIELD
ECCLES Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
FARNWORTH Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
GORTON Hose Cart only; taken over by Manchester 1909
HALE & BOWDON
HAZEL GROVE & BRAMHALL
HEATON NORRIS Taken over by Stockport FB
HEYWOOD Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
HINDLEY Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
HORWICH Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
HYDE Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
IRLAM Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
LEES Brigade disbanded 1884
LEIGH Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
LEIGH RDC
LEVENSHULME Hand Pump only; taken over by Manchester 1909
LITTLEBOROUGH Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
MARPLE Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
MIDDLETON Lancashire FB (1948-); Fire Station closed 1966
MILNROW Brigade disbanded c1920
MOSS SIDE Taken over by Manchester FB 1904
MOSSLEY Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE 18th Aug 1941 to 31st March 1948 only
NEWTON HEATH Hose Carts only; taken over by Manchester 1890
NORDEN Taken over by Rochdale 1933
OPENSHAW Hand Pump only; taken over by Manchester 1890
ORRELL WWII Auxiliary Fire Service only (1939-1941)
PENDLETON Taken over by Salford 1871
PRESTWICH Lancashire FB (1948-); station closed 1957
RADCLIFFE Lancashire FB (1948-); station closed 1964
RAMSBOTTOM Brigade disbanded c1919;
WWII Auxiliary Fire Service only (1939-1941);
Lancashire FB (1948-1974)
REDDISH Taken over by Stockport 1901
RUSHOLME Hose Cart only; taken over by Manchester 1885
SALE Merged into new Sale & AOM Joint FB 1898
SALE & ASHTON-ON-MERSEY Joint fire authority (1898-1941);
Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
STALYBRIDGE Cheshire FB (1948-1974)
STANDISH
STRETFORD Merged into new Stretford & Urmston Joint FB 1939
STRETFORD & URMSTON Lancashire FB station (1948-1974)
SWINTON & PENDLEBURY Lancashire FB station (1948-1974)
TIMPERLEY WWII Auxiliary Fire Service only (1939-1941)
TYLDESLEY
URMSTON Merged into new Stretford & Urmston Joint FB 1939
WITHINGTON Hand Pump only; taken over by Manchester 1904
THE FOLLOWING (CURRENT) GREATER MANCHESTER AREA FIRE STATIONS ARE IN TOWNS WHICH NEVER PREVIOUSLY OPERATED THEIR OWN FIRE BRIGADE:
CHADDERTON Lancashire FB (1963-1974)
WHITEFIELD Lancashire FB (1964-1974)
THE FOLLOWING TOWN NEVER OPERATED ITS OWN (PRE- WORLD WAR II) FIRE BRIGADE BUT HAD A FIRE STATION FROM c1941 (OPENED BY THE NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE) UNTIL 1963 :
ROYTON Lancashire FB (1948-), replaced by Chadderton 1963
