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Factory Fire Services

Yes the fire tender was driven into the P6 trim shop stores area north works, and after another roller door at the far end of area was opened an inrush of air caused a flashover, this ignited all the foam and trim material plus all the glue tins, as well igniting a dravo oil heater in the ceiling, the resulting blaze melted the aluminuim body of the land rover appliance.
This is a told to me by a crew member involved.
 
Probably the sands of time and the changing of the story, mine makes it sound more dramatic!

Neville Philpott said:
When i worked at LR the story had changed slightly, apparently the appliance had been driven to a fire in i believe the old P5 trim shop, and whilst the crew
were tackling the blaze it somehow got behind them and the fire vehicle caught alight and was lost.
Click to expand...
 
Whatever the truth was, i doubt they ever managed to live it down....
 
Talking about the Land Rover fire brigade, the CFO was a great old chap, his name was Jack Kirby, he was known around the factory as the Hamster.PICT0053.jpg
 
I was a Fire and Security Officer at Austin Morris Adderley Park Works '63-'65. The CFO was a Mr Glynn, I recall the Subbies were another Glynn, Harry ? also Johnny Glynn, Joe Boden, Ron Tibbs, Ted Massey etc.
The Fire engine was an Austin Gypsy with a 100 gallon tank of water in the back along with various extinguishers, quite hairy when cornering. There was also a Coventry Climax trailer pump which would support 2 x 1" jets to a height of 100'.
 
Steffen said:
I was a Fire and Security Officer at Austin Morris Adderley Park Works '63-'65. The CFO was a Mr Glynn, I recall the Subbies were another Glynn, Harry ? also Johnny Glynn, Joe Boden, Ron Tibbs, Ted Massey etc.
The Fire engine was an Austin Gypsy with a 100 gallon tank of water in the back along with various extinguishers, quite hairy when cornering. There was also a Coventry Climax trailer pump which would support 2 x 1" jets to a height of 100'.
Click to expand...
On sunday mornings in the 60's I used to go to Morris motors in Drews lane for fire training, CFO Glyn, was one of the instructors also CFO Field of Rootes motors and CFO Stinchcombe of the Austin brigades, also we went to Central fire station for BA training with ADO Webb.
 
The CFO Glynn I refer to was past normal retirement age. He smoked like a chimney, pipe, fags, and chewing tobacco too.
One day down in the van storage by Adderley Rd North, a guy left an acetylene torch burning unattended. It turned itself around and burned a hole in the acetylene cylinder. We hosed it with cold water, just as we began the CFO turned up, doffed his hat and whacked it at the flaming hole extinguishing the fire.
If you ever knew me, you wouldn't forget my glass eye. It had a magnet in it to attach to another in my socket. When I went to my locker to clean it one day, taking it out and parking it on the one adjacent, Harry the Subby came in, sees the eye on his locker and fainted.
 
riverboy said:
Yes the fire tender was driven into the P6 trim shop stores area north works, and after another roller door at the far end of area was opened an inrush of air caused a flashover, this ignited all the foam and trim material plus all the glue tins, as well igniting a dravo oil heater in the ceiling, the resulting blaze melted the aluminuim body of the land rover appliance.
This is a told to me by a crew member involved.
Click to expand...

I was told by a crew member at the time Ted Massey, that he was doing a patrol and upon entering the trim shop air rushed into it as he opened the door and fire sprang up. apparently it must have been burning then smouldering for at least 5 hours, the period between patrols. He slammed the door shut and ran the short distance to the station, no radio's then. By the time the crew got there as has been said the p;ace was an inferno near the seat of the fire.
I was shown photo's of a set of spanners melted onto the concrete floor, all the steel girders were buckled, the temperature for this to happen has to exceed 1,015 C.
A cat and kittens all in a line, burnt to a crisp whilt legging it.
 
Hi steffen, My dad worked in the MCC Fire Brigade, here are some pics i found. First one is of MCC Austin Gypsy Fire Engine
Reg: JOG 630E outside of East works after the major fire, the fireman on the left is my dad Joe Boden and Peter Tooze, and 2 pictures showing some of the fire damage afterwards. Pic 3 is of some of MCC firemen with top management celebrating trophies won at the Birmingham & District Industrial Fire Brigades Association fire drill competions.
Front row sitting left to right Peter Tooze,
Joe Boden..(my dad) Pony Pritchard (john), Cyril Taylor, Peter Glyn and far end sitting Johnny Glyn…Back row 2nd & 5th from the left Pete Robinson & Ted Massey.
More threads and pics on the MCC and fire brigade on this link:

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=26239&page=4



Morris Comercial Gypsy Fire Engine.jpgMorri Comercial EastWorks Fire 1964.jpg MorrisComercial EastWorks Fire 1964.jpgMorrisComercial Fire Brigade&Management 1963.jpgCFO.Joe Boden.JPG
 
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Does anyone have a photgraph of the Morris Commercial works ambulance.We have a MC vehicle which was the works ambulance,it was registered in 1937 but the.registration number has been sold.It is at present under restoration and we would like to present it in it original livery.
 
HI Guys ;
On the subject of factory fire services as we know it was big companies that had there own internal fire services many years ago
with there own fire engines operating within the factory grounds . like ICI ; AND IMI AS YOU SAY THE COMERCIAL AND ROVER
When i left school and i joined the army after leavin g the army i got a job at ici ; along with another older brother of mine ;
but when i joined i thought it was a world of its own at ICI When i seen the building and the roads out laid it took me months to find my way around
to where i was working in the foundrys section ;
but any way after reading the subjects by other forum members ; and given todays record of all these giant companies closing down
i thought to myself just how many companies arel left that still attained there fire crews and there engines today
i know of other big factoried that had trained fire officiers with inthere company but nt the engines
but today they rerly on the natioal services like us all ; but bearng in mind the cut backs of today for fire men ;and our deminising police force ;
so i thought it would be intresting if its possible to get an account of thesefirms that still have there own reserved teams
just a thought ;
best wishes astonian;;;
 
The Rover at Woodcock Lane also had a fire crew and they had to suffer a lot of jokes when the brigade from Acocks Green arrived to deal with a fire in Machine tool repair before them.

I remember the aftermath of the Solihull fire the insurance company insisted that all wooden desks and cabinets be destroyed including one that belonged to Sir Frank Whittle.
 
Help wanted. I have just bought an Austin Gipsy fire engine. It was in service up until 1963 with Morris Motors, Birmingham. It is engine number one. Could anyone tell me if the firemen would have been full time or "retained" and would they have worn a uniform or overalls. Any information would be appreciated, either here or by email, alanalan13@aol.com

MAny thanks

Alan Harris
 
I would be pretty certain that it was part of the works Fire Brigade. Large companies often had them. They dealt with the fire or emergency initially and would subsequently be joined by the local authority brigade.

Look at post 42 in this thread. It has some pics, one of which is an Austin Gypsy owned by Morris. There is also an Austin Gypsy link within the thread but you probably know about that group.
 
mike-g said:
Until about 1980 most of Birmingham's larger factory's had an internal fire brigade. My Father was the Senior Officer and head of security at Joseph Lucas from 1946 until he retired about 1977.
There was an organisation called The Birmingham Private Fire Brigades Association. All of the factories were members. This organisation organised ( among other things ) an annual competion between the factory brigades.
Until his death my Father was the President of the organisation.
When I can get into the loft I will ( if I did not dump them when I moved ) sort out some Photos of some of these competitions.
Click to expand...
mike-g said:
Until about 1980 most of Birmingham's larger factory's had an internal fire brigade. My Father was the Senior Officer and head of security at Joseph Lucas from 1946 until he retired about 1977.
There was an organisation called The Birmingham Private Fire Brigades Association. All of the factories were members. This organisation organised ( among other things ) an annual competion between the factory brigades.
Until his death my Father was the President of the organisation.
When I can get into the loft I will ( if I did not dump them when I moved ) sort out some Photos of some of these competitions.
Click to expand...
Hi Mike G,
I am writing a book on British Fire Brigade medals and awards, and would like to find out more. Was this actually called the 'Birmingham and District Industrial Fire Brigades Association'?
David
 
dpk said:
Hi Mike G,
I am writing a book on British Fire Brigade medals and awards, and would like to find out more. Was this actually called the 'Birmingham and District Industrial Fire Brigades Association'?
David
Hi David...i can remember back to 1960 when the Title was (Birmingham District Industrial Fire Brigades Association) i have added a pic of the Association logo/badge B.D.I.F.B.A on page 2/thread (21)….my dad was responsible for the administration and issuing the Association service medals & awards.
Click to expand...
 
hi Rover.
in reply to your industrial brigades. i served at Rover wards end joining Longbridge when Reliance security took over from the internal security i transfered to ward end in 1989 as security/ambulance supervisor for two week holiday cover never going back. i served over 30 years at ward end as security manager / fire prevention officer. i would be willing to meet up when this covid allows. I first came interested in fire fighting while working at Tripple X K.N under Micky Moor chief fire officer.
 
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Hi Tiny

Thank you for post on the forum. We strongly advise members not to post their personal email addresses on the thread. Your email address and data could be harvested and used for scams, fraud, and identity theft. If you wish other members to contact you, then its best if you advise them to use the “Start Conversation” facility we provide. This then protects you and your privacy.
 
Morturn said:
Hi Tiny

Thank you for post on the forum. We strongly advise members not to post their personal email addresses on the thread. Your email address and data could be harvested and used for scams, fraud, and identity theft. If you wish other members to contact you, then its best if you advise them to use the “Start Conversation” facility we provide. This then protects you and your privacy.
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Morturn.
sorry been away sometime did not think will go to start conversation. is there any way of removeing it
 
Hi Tiny, no problem. I can edit your post for you and you can start a conversation by using the envelope button on the top right hand side.

Thanks.
 
mike-g said:
nUntil about 1980 most of Birmingham's larger factory's had an internal fire brigade. My Father was the Senior Officer and head of security at Joseph Lucas from 1946 until he retired about 1977.
There was an organisation called The Birmingham Private Fire Brigades Association. All of the factories were members. This organisation organised ( among other things ) an annual competion between the factory brigades.
Until his death my Father was the President of the organisation.
When I can get into the loft I will ( if I did not dump them when I moved ) sort out some Photos of some of these competitions.
Click to expand...
Hi Mike...did you ever manage to get into the loft , would be interesting to see any competition pics.
 
Tiny said:
hi Rover.
in reply to your industrial brigades. i served at Rover wards end joining Longbridge when Reliance security took over from the internal security i transfered to ward end in 1989 as security/ambulance supervisor for two week holiday cover never going back. i served over 30 years at ward end as security manager / fire prevention officer. i would be willing to meet up when this covid allows. I first came interested in fire fighting while working at Tripple X K.N under Micky Moor chief fire officer.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Tiny thx for the contact and i hope you are keeping well, its always good to hear from others who were involved with the Industrial Fire Brigades...i worked as fireman at the Drews Lane site for a spell just before Austin Rover as it was then merged all their Fire Brigades with the site Security Department, until then they were individual departments. The Security part of the business was responsible for all security of the site and the Fire Brigade responsible all fire safety fire fighting equipment, risks, and Fire prevention along with running the Ambulance service and of course fighting any fires. We used to run 2 Austin Gypsy fire tenders one was from the closed down Morris Commercial at Adderley park Bordesley Green. and an old Austin fire tender from the 40's i think it was...tho viewed more of a curiosity by the internal work force than an an asset but it was still operational. The chief was Ken Lee and deputy Alf Heywood and before Drews i was fireman at Butlers Lighting which was part of the Lucas Group. I remember the pump houses well...lol if ever it cut in at the dead of night especially on a w/e during a night patrol...you needed clean underwear when you got back.........lol
 
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