The Early History of Blaina Fire and Rescue Service

Some of Our Brave Men

I remember back in 1974, when it was announced that the Fire Brigades around the UK would be dropping the word Brigade, and substituting it with the word Service instead,  that as a young man I was not that much in favour or impressed with the change.

To me then, Fire Brigade sounded much better and macho than Fire Service and perhaps it was around that time when whoever "they" are, started to change the long established names of ministries and organisations like Fire Brigades that our services stared to decline - who knows.

More recently however, the name of the original Brigade has changed again and with the addition of the word Rescue, we are now at today, where what was originally the Fire Brigade is now known as the Fire and Rescue Service.  Well names may change but the kind of men who man the fire engines do not.  They are still heroes.
Well shamefully, until only a few days ago, when I became involved in our communities struggle to save Our Fire Station, I was completely ignorant of the history of our local Fire and Rescue Service and how and who operates it today.

So I am grateful to John Watkins for sending me the following information, that he liberated from the excellent Facebook Blaina Past and who I am sure will not mind me republishing the information on our website, that is supporting our modern day spitfire pilots who risk their lives for us almost daily.

Here we go with a brief early history of the Nantyglo and Blaina Fire Brigade

December 1889, the Nantyglo and Blaina Local Board made the recommendation to form a volunteer Fire Brigade was adopted on the motion of Mr Bainton and a committee was appointed to select suitable men from the applicants for membership into the brigade. The committee consists of Messrs J. Bainton, J. Evans, J.P. Councillors W. Parry (grocer). G. R. Harris and Mr W. G. Stevens, (surveyor).

January 1890, the Nantyglo and Blaina Local Board committee recommend that the Fire Brigade shall consist of the following - a captain, a foreman and ten firemen. The surveyor issued notices inviting active and steady men to join the "Fire Brigade", the remuneration for the foreman be at a rate of 6d for each practice and 1s per hour in case of a fire. The officers and firemen be provided with a helmet, cap, tunic, life-line, lamp and axe and that a delivery pipe and whistle be procured, the uniform etc be kept at the Fire Brigade Station and arrangements have been made so that the hooters will give the alarm in case of a fire.

The committee recommended that one half of the brigade shall be resident above the Local Board Offices and the other half below the offices (geographically). The following are to form the Fire Brigade - Mr George Stevens (captain), John Francis (lieutenant). the Nantyglo section - M. McGarry, John Edwards, Thomas Edwards, F. Price and William Mockford. The Blaina section - James Allen, Charles Hiscock, Joseph Lloyd, John Lloyd, and H. Shepard. In a local board meeting the cost of the uniforms was placed at between £40 and £50, the costs were objected to and voted to be met through public conscriptions, the debate was held over till the next meeting. The council agreed to pay for the cost of the uniforms.

March 1890, tenders for the supplying of the Fire Brigade requisites were opened and it was decided to accept that of Messrs Shand, Mason & Co, London amounting to £42 10s.

April 1890, the Fire Brigades first drill came to test their efficiency when the mock alarm came from the Board School, Blaina. Within ten minutes the men were dressed in their uniforms and on the ground minutes later they were at the school watched by many on-lookers, the Brigade afterwards marched through the town to the Blaina Inn, where they were entertained to dinner by the Local Board.

Saturday 13th September 1890, the Fire Brigade`s first official group photograph taken??

July 1891, a fire at the Blaina Tin Works occurred and extinguished, the Brigades expenses were £3 8s, though an half of an hour was lost by the Fire Brigade at the commencement of the fire owing to a defective hooter, the local board are purchasing 2 "Sirenetle" alarms at the cost of £20. A committee was set up to deal with the Fire Brigade Regulations and to deal with the alarm questions, Names as follows - Messrs John Dakers (chairman), G. R. Harris, W. Parry (contractor), W. Rees, E. Griffiths, R. Rosse

Ok, so we have a big gap now between July 1891 and today in 2013 where Our Station, with its long history of serving the people of Nantyglo and Blaina and then further afield is fighting for its survival, but I am sure that we will fill in that big gap over time.

Hopefully soon I will be publishing images and personal information on the current crew who man our station but meanwhile there is something you must do and do it now if you have not already done so.

That is, you MUST go to this page here which is where the South Wales Fire Rescue Service Cover Review are giving the people of Blaenau Gwent, a chance to voice their concerns with regards to the planned closure of Blaina Fire Station.

Make no bones about it, this is the most important of all the electronic ways of getting our message across and it is the volume of support that is shown here, that will decide on whether Our Station stays open to protect us 24/7 or close and leave us almost defenceless against death by fire.

Now please leave a link to this article or at least a link to the survey so we can reach a greater audience.

Am looking forward to meeting many of you outside Ebbw Vale Civic Centre on the 7th of October at 12.30 when we show our support for Our Boys and Our Fire Station.  Arrange your car sharing and transport now.  More to follow.

Next article will be news about some information discovered by our Councillor, Lisa Winnett that should improve our chances of saving our station quite dramatically.