Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service

Infobox UK Fire and Rescue
name= Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
area= Greater Manchester
start= 1974
population= 2,500,000
size= 496 miles²
staff= 2,641
BM= Barry Dixon
stations= 41
HQ= Pendlebury
FA= Greater Manchester Fire Authority

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web= [http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service]

The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide, statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England.

Greater Manchester is the second largest fire service in the United Kingdom, covering an area of approximately 496 square miles. [ [http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/gen/what_we_do.asp?id7=1&id8=1 What We Do] , Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Website. URL accessed December 10, 2006.] The service has 41 fire stations up until 2006 were organised into three territorial Area Commands (South, East and West), each one with an Area Command Headquarters, based at Stretford, Rochdale and Bolton. When the brigade altered the command area's structure they divided the three area commands from East, West and South Command to11 Borough Commands, aligned to the 10 local authorities in the county - Bolton, Bury, Manchester (North/South), Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan.The service employs 2,641 personnel, of which 2,174 are uniformed operational personnel, 64 control room staff, and 403 non-uniformed support staff.

The Fire Services' Headquarters is located in Pendlebury in the City of Salford. [The official street address is given as Swinton, but the premises are in neighbouring Pendlebury]

History

The service was created when the county of Greater Manchester came into being in 1974. It had, until fairly recently, been called the Greater Manchester County Fire Service. The change in name reflects the growing number of roles the service now has, and many services across the United Kingdom are also changing their names to "Fire and Rescue Service". This change was inspired by new primary legislation for England and Wales, The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/20040021.htm The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, Pub TSO, (accessed 19 Oct 2006)] ] .

The service was originally administered by the Greater Manchester County Council, but when this was abolished in 1986, administration of the service was taken over by a joint authority of the ten Metropolitan Boroughs of Greater Manchester, known as the "Fire and Rescue Authority". Five members are appointed by Manchester City Council, two each by Bury and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Councils, and three each by the remaining seven borough councils of Greater Manchester. [Local Government Act 1985 (1985 c.51), schedule 10, part II]

ee also

*Fire service in the United Kingdom
*Greater Manchester Police

References

External links

* [http://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk Official website]