History

Seven firefighters lost their lives following this historic fire at Albert Embankment. To this day the tragedy remains the greatest single loss of London firefighters during peacetime. Three fire engines and 25 firefighters were called out to the fire at a three-storey warehouse. Dense fog mingled...

The FBU was born at a time of social upheaval, when London police officers were on strike during a world war, writes Helen Hague. When thousands of striking police officers marched on Downing Street in late August 1918, women’s suffrage campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst sensed revolutionary fervour in...

As plans to celebrate the union’s centenary in 2018 gather pace, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack appeals for members’ help. The Fire Brigades Union will be 100 years old in 2018. On a recent visit to the union’s archives, which are held at the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick, we...

Firefighters and their union have been at the forefront of many key developments in the fire and rescue service, research for the FBU’s centenary confirms. Helen Hague reports. By the end of 2018, FBU members and the public should know a great deal more about the history of the firefighters’ union...