Fire Service: Difference between revisions

 

In September 1874 a letter from Captain Smith, Chief Constable of Cheshire gave the Board permission to erect a building in the Constabulary Yard on Hoole Road, in which  to keep the Reel Cart and Hose, subject to certain terms. The following month plans were prepared to obtain a tender, and in November the quote from Charles Holland of Faulkner Street amounting to £34-10-9 for the work was accepted and the building work commenced.

 

In 1877 the Board appointed Sergeant Clark of Cheshire Constabulary to take charge of the firehose and other equipment, and approving payment of £5 a year to do so.

 

In 1894 Hoole Urban District Council was formed, replacing the Board, and its new offices opened next to Williams Terrace in Peploe Street, now Westminster Road. At the rear "accommodation was provided for the carts, horses, firehose etc." - an interesting report  that also confirmed that the Council owned a horse which could be used for fire turnouts; unfortunately a year later it was necessary to hire one! The firm of W.H. Hallmark in Milton Street, was used to supply the horsepower required to pull the manual pump.

 

==Hoole Volunteer Fire Brigade==

 

In May the first HVFB meeting was held. Only three men were present but this did not deter them from forming the service, and their efforts paid off as in November of the same year "the whole of Hoole Fire Brigade" joined The Station Company of Chester Volunteers, as it marched from the General Railway Station, over Hoole Bridge to All Saints Church for divine service. The Brigade was commanded by Captain R Cecil Davies and two Lieutenants, Charles Atkin and Dr Francis Butt.

 

Hoole Volunteer Fire Brigade sensibly adopted the Rule Book of the Earl of Chester's Fire Brigade for their own use and for managing the brigade.

 

Public funding was complemented by several of the volunteers buying their own equipment, and additional equipment was borrowed or acquired from surplus stock held by the CVFB. The fire helmet pictured belonged to Harry Hughes, HVFB member and, as can be seen, came from surplus stock of the CVFB.

 

A prize draw was also established by E.H Dawson, another HVFB member, which he ran from his newsagents in Faulkner Street, to provide additional funds for the brigade.

 

In September 1899 the Brigade's First Annual Sports Day was held in the grounds of Hoole House, when the Chief Constable of Cheshire, living at neighbouring Hoole Lodge, successfully opposed a drinks licence.

 

The Sports Days became annual events, contests between firemen and visiting brigades causing keen competition and considerable amusement. The 1904 Sports Day was held at The Folly.

 

HVFB played a large part in local civic events, processions ,fetes and carnivals, etc. At the 1911 Coronation Celebrations "members of Hoole Fire Brigade (under Lt E.H. Dawson and Sgts Bennion and Catherall) mounted on the fire engine were in the procession behind the band of the Welsh Royal Field Artillery".

 

In February 1904, Mr R Stringer, the landlord of the Faulkner Arms, offered to present the district with a 18 inch diameter Fire Bell if the Council would accept it and provide a proper tower for hanging it. The latter was agreed, and Mr Horace Davies (brother of Richard Cecil Davies & HUDC’s Consulting Surveyor) designed and supervised the tower´s erection adjacent to the Council Offices. The picture of the brigade at the beginning of the article was taken on the handover of the new tower & bell in September 1904, and at the subsequent reception held at the Westminster Schools, William Williams, Chairman of the Council presented the 10 years long service medals referred to above.

 

Hoole UDC provided significant support to the HVFB in terms of funding equipment and in 1911 approved and paid for the addition of a new store and recreation room over the existing engine house in Westminster Road..

 

The advent of World War II brought about a number of changes. A National Fire Service was set up with a station based in Hoole, and an air raid siren was mounted on the roof of The Elms; this was later used in peacetime to indicate a fire in the area. After the War responsibility for the fire service provision in Hoole passed to Cheshire County Council who based a fire engine in its shed in the grounds of The Elms. When the fire service was reorganised the fire engine was moved to Northgate Street in Chester and its shed used to house Hoole Branch Library.

 

When Hoole Urban District Council gave up its powers to Chester City in 1954 The Elms became a base and training centre for the City of Chester Auxiliary Fire Service, a practice tower being erected in its grounds. The Elms was demolished in 1985 due to extensive dry rot. A Medical Centre was built on the site which is now occupied by a Co-operative supermarket.