Wakefield City Police Fire Brigade.
1913 Dennis water pump outside the fire station in Kings Street.
WAKEFIELD'S EARLY EMERGENCY SERVICES
In 1848 Wakefield formed its own Borough Police Force. At that time the Fire Brigade was separate with its own Fire Captain, although they both occupied the same premises in lower King Street. In 1878 the Police and Fire Brigade moved into new premises at the top of King Street (now the Magistrate's Courts building) but still under separate leadership. In June 1892 James Thresh, the Fire Captain died, and Thomas Harris, the Chief Constable, suggested to the Council Watch Committee that it would be more economical if the two were combined. Thus in July 1893 it became the Wakefield City Police Fire Brigade, with Thomas Harris as Chief Constable and Fire Captain, with 7 former firemen and 4 police officers as the crew to be called out when required. At this same time a new horse drawn steam powered fire engine was purchased by the Council at a cost of £400. Horses for the engine were hired from the Wakefield Omnibus Company, from their depot in Hope Street, as and when required.
In April 1904 the Council was presented with a new horse drawn ambulance, and this was placed in the care and control of the Police. When the ambulance was required a horse and driver had to be hired from the
licensee of the Great Northern Hotel, and accompanied by a first aid trained policeman.
In 1913 the Council purchased their first motor fire engine, a Dennis 60 b.h.p., 400 gallon turbine pump, at a cost of £955. This was shortly to be joined by a second Dennis motor appliance. By 1918 Chief Constable Harris had completed 45 years police service, and a friend presented to the Force a £500 Hupmobile motor ambulance, which replaced the former horse drawn vehicle.
In 1929 the Wakefield City Police implemented a new communications system of police telephone boxes, and to assist with the servicing of this system an A.J.S 500 c.c. motorcycle combination was purchased. This was shortly followed by a Ford Model A, motor van.
In 1930 the Government was suggesting to police forces that they should introduce vehicle road patrols, and so the Wakefield Force purchased a second A.J.S 500 c.c. motorcycle solo. This machine later had a sidecar attached, and in 1935 the motorcycles were replaced by 2 Austin 10 h.p. motor cars.
The late 1930's saw a vehicle fleet of 1 ambulance, 2 fire engines, 2 police cars and 1 police van.
It was also during this period that the Wakefield policemen and firemen converted a ship's lifeboat into a fireboat, for use on the River Calder, and named it "Salamander".
In August 1941 the National Fire Service was formed and Wakefield's 2 fire engines were transferred, together with the "Salamander", and 5 policemen were seconded to the N.F.S. About this same time the ambulance was transferred to Civil Defence.
After the War the fire engines and the ambulance were not returned to the police, but established their own departments within the Council. After the War the number of police vehicles increased, to the extent that
by 1968, when the Force was amalgamated with other police forces in the area, the fleet consisted of 6 Austin Mini Panda vans, 4 Ford Cortina patrol cars, 1 Ford Transit personnel carrier, 1 Ford Anglia small general purpose van, and 4 B.S.A. 250 cc. solo motorcycles. With the exception of the Panda vans, all the vehicles were fitted with V.H.F. radio. Personnel using the Panda vans carried personal U.H.F. radios. |
Trams, Trains
