Central Fire Stations

The First Fire Station

Leicester Fire Brigade was formed in 1836. The first fire station was opened in Bowling Green Street in 1876. The station stood at the back of where the Town Hall is today. It was under the charge of Superintendent John Johnson. Many firefighters lived nearby in Albion Street and Stamford Street. The station and the firefighters’ houses were connected by electric bells to alert them about a fire.

Firefighters used leather fire buckets, hooks for pulling down debris, and ladders. The town had three fire engines, pulled by horses. A building in Bishop Street was bought in 1889 to stable the horses.

Firemen outside the Bowling Green Street fire station, 1892

The Importance of Insurance

As well as the official fire brigade, fire insurance offices were also important for managing fires. It was only guaranteed that your fire would be tackled if you had fire insurance.

By 1827, Leicester had 11 fire insurance offices. Two companies, the Leicester Insurance Office, and the Sun Insurance Company, had trained firemen and engines. Metal fire insurance plaques were placed on the outside of buildings to show the building was insured. Each fire insurance office had its own design of plaque. Many small fires were still put out by members of the public.

The hand push hose reel was a quick way to fight fires

Plans for a New Fire Station

By the end of the 1800s, it became clear that Leicester needed more firefighting facilities. The town was developing rapidly, and firefighting technology was changing. Horse-drawn steamer fire engines and additional equipment needed more storage space. The original Bowling Green Street fire station became too small to accommodate all the horse-drawn engines.

In 1880, W.E. Keites, from Market Street, drew up plans for a new fire station on Rutland Street. Superintendent William Ely added his own suggestions. The Leicester Daily Mercury noted that their plan was now similar to the station in Birmingham.

Rutland Street Fire Station

A State-Of-The-Art Facility

The new central fire station on Rutland Street opened in 1892. It cost around £14,000 and was considered a “State of the-Art” facility. It included the American system of a brass fire pole, allowing firemen to easily slide down from the upper floors. The station had cottages for the firemen and their families. The firemen were called by electric fire alarm bells. The fire brigade used horse-drawn wagons to escort prisoners across the town. They also ran an ambulance service.

A Fully Motorised Brigade

The Wolsey chemical Fire Engine was introduced at the station in 1904. It could reach 24 miles per hour, and carried 50 gallons of water. By 1914, under Chief Officer Henry Neal, the brigade was fully motorised. In 1918, Neal established the Institution of Fire Engineers; an education organisation that still exists today.

The station closed in 1927. Large crowds gathered outside, and the firemen wore ceremonial brass helmets, instead of their usual leather ones. Later in 1927 a new fire station opened on Lancaster Road.

Wolsey chemical fire engine, 1904