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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => General Interest => Topic started by: Guest on September 07, 2004, 01:29:13 PM
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Can anyone tell me about the Slavage Corps operatedin Liverpool and London.
There isn't much info about them on the net.
I understand that they looked like fireman drove fire engines with blue lights and hadtheir own fire stations.
But were they funded by insurance companies? What was the complete nature of their work?
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Sorry for the spelling mistakes by the way!!! I type too fast
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Guest,
The Salvage Corps operated in London, Glasgow & Liverpool up until about the mid eighties. The were indeed funded by insurance companies and would attend incidents as requested by the fire brigade to carry out a wide range of salvage duties. They drove about in salvage tenders many of which transferred to brigade use on the disbandment of the Corps and did have blue lights fitted. Their appearance was similar to fire fighters except they had their own helmet badge and insignia. Glasgow Salvage Corp if memory serves me was based in the city centre and would respond to incidents all over Strathclyde. They carried a wide array of salvage equipment from smoke extraction to basic tools and ofcourse a plentiful supply of salvage sheets!
If you consider their pay masters being insurance companies it will give you a fair idea of their duties, ranging from making damaged buildings weatherproof, smoke clearance and controlling water damage. They were also equipped to work inside the building during the fire to prevent further damage to property but not firefighting.
Their demise came as a result of economics at the end of the day, other major towns and cities functioned without them and fire crews would do the salvage work so why not in the three cities which had them.
I know in Glasgow some Salvage Corp members joined the fire brigade from the Corp at it's end.
Gio :lol:
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Thanks Gio I was unfortunately unaware until yesterday that such corps existed. What flummoxed me slightly was someone showed me a photo of a salvage tender from the Liverpool Salvage Corps and because it was fitted with blue lights I thought the corps must have been a local authority service.
So wasn't sure how it was operated and administered.
I was suprised they lasted up until as recently as 1984
Anyone got anymore information?
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Sorry for the spelling mistakes by the way!!! I type too fast
spafe!
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:arrow: While we are on the subject of history, it was insurance companies that originally formed fire brigades. :idea:
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Quite right Chris. Wasn't it the case though that insured properties were identified by an insurance company's plaque on the wall and if no plaque, no fire fighting? It was early days after all!
Gio. :shock:
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Indeed. You can see examples of these plaques by searching under "Fire Insurance" on e-bay.
I wonder if in reality they would help people out...........perhaps some of the older members on the forum can remember...... :lol: :lol: :lol:
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So even up until 1984 the corps would only respond to calls to buildings which had insurance with a particular company only - a company that subscribed to the salavge corps presumably.
What did the local fire brigade think of them?
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Guest,
I think you have the wrong end of the stick. The insurance plaques referred to the early brigades set up by insurance companies not the salvage corp. I do not know for sure if they had specific criteria before they would turn out but I remember working beside them in many locations including residential properties where they would have no idea of whether the householders carried insurance.
In the three cities which had a corp I am certain firefighters would agree that they were a good thing, even if only because it meant we didn't have to do a lot of the boring salvage work! It is easy to think of them as some sort of poor relation but in fact they did have a specific job to do.
Gio :lol:
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:D
Yes, I recall the Liverpool Salvage Corps. Along with the Glasgow and London Corps they were absorbed into their local authority FB when the insurance companies ceased funding them. Great shame as they did a terrific job and saved us fireys having to sweep water out of buildings, shore up, sheet up, etc, etc. Great bunch of guys.
I recall attending one particular fire in a warehouse that stocked 'fire damaged' goods. The Salvage Corps turned up and said that as the insurance company had paid to salvage the goods once they weren't going to do it again. So they left. Ce la vie! :lol:
Cheers
:)
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nothing in this world is new!
i attended a meeting of the national community fire safety user group recently and it was reported that an organisation exists (sorry cant remember - will have to check my notes/report) which carries out similar functions to those of the dear old salvage corps.
i'll try to find out more if i can and see if my memory is as bad as my note taking!
dave bev
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Sorry to be a bit controversial, but I thought the role of salvage was that of the fire brigades - life and property..........
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no probs chris - controverse away!!
i cant remember any reference in the national framework document, it was in the old fire services act one of the 1 (1's) i think 1 1 e - and im not sure about the new fire services act/bill, best get my stuff out
anyone actually know before i spend hours reading and replying?
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yep its in there!
part 2 7 (e)
it states that they must make arrangents for ensuring reasonable steps are taken blah blah blah
so it doesnt stop them engaging other organisations to do it or to consider things unreasonable therefore not do anything!!
bring back the corpse !! (yes i spelt it correctly)
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Protecting property will always be secondary to protecting life, but it's a very important function and the one that UK fire brigades were originaly set up for. The UK looses bilions of pounds of property to fire every year and it's the role of the fire brigade to ensure these losses are mitigated (and the role of owners, occupiers, insurers etc to do the same proactivly.)
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for those interested in the history of salvage corps,simply click onto "google2 and type in glasgow salvage corps. There is a rich history of salvage corps throughout the world particularly in the USA where they still have active fire salvage corps in operation indeed one fire patrolman as they are known as in New York was killed at the twin towers.India also has an active Salvage Corps based in Bombay.If any one has any questions just ask and I shall endeviour to answer them.
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For those interested in the history of salvage corps,simply click onto google and type in Glasgow Salvage Corps. There is a rich history of salvage corps throughout the world particularly in the USA where they still have active fire salvage corps in operation indeed one fire patrolman (as they are known as in New York) was killed at the twin towers. India also has an active Salvage Corps based in Bombay.If any one has any questions just ask and I shall endeviour to answer them.
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sorry to take so long to interject but have just found these entries, Liverpool salvage corps attended many fires comercial and domestic and as sometimes ffirst on scene would fight fires, and have indeed recieved many citations for saving lives, there members were also eligible to join the fbu.
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Dear All
I am new to this Site
My Dad was a member of the Liverpool Salvage Corp
Regards
Eric
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Merseyside Fire Service Control is located in the old Salvage Corps Station and the warehouse where they conducted their salvage sales is attached to the station.
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I think if you go back far enough you had two organisations one for fire fighting and one for rescue.
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Dear All
I am new to this Site
My Dad was a member of the Liverpool Salvage Corp
Regards
Eric
Hi Eric
Would be intrested to know more about the Salvage Corps - Ie who operated them, how they were paid for, whether they were recognised as an emergency service etc, how they were called out etc
Have you any further information?
Cheers
FW
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Check out http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/results.aspx?tab=2&Page=1&ContainAllWords=liverpool+salvage+corps
The the goods they salvaged was sorted in their warehouse and sold, any short fall was subsidised by the Fire Offices Committee.
I am not sure whether they were recognised as an emergency service but they rode appliance very similar to a fire engine and the uniform was identically to the fire service except they had a vertical white band over their helmet.
Local fire controls informed them of fires in their area and they responded as they considered fit.
In 1980 the fire offices committee withdrew their support and they had to be self suficient and they were unable to fund themselves so they disbanded and many joined the fire service. Their Derby Road station and equipment was taken over by Merseyside FB the station became the Merseyside Fire Control.
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The Salvage Corp are, I understand, are no more.
There job was to attend major losses, and to clean up after the brigade had left the scene. Typically they would provide salvage sheets co minimise water damage etc, and remove items to the outside of the fire damaged building.
I think they were funded by insurers and came about as a direct result of the damage during the blitz.
Try contacting Chief Excecutives Department at Liverpool City Council for further info or the Chief Fire Officer at Merseyside Fire Service.
Hope this helps
Stephen999
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See also
http://www.romar.org.uk/page31facts1dyk2.html
http://uk.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dsalvage%2Bcorps%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fl%3D0%26vc%3DcountryUK%26fr%3Dsfp%26b%3D21&w=320&h=200&imgurl=www.west6wallasey.co.uk%2Fcbg50xred.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.west6wallasey.co.uk%2Fblast.html&size=21.8kB&name=cbg50xred.jpg&p=salvage+corps&type=jpeg&no=23&tt=66&ei=UTF-8
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The LAST Fire Salvage units are in NYC and in Bombay, India
We are about to go into oblivion as did the UK Salvage Corp.
We are in the fight of our lives trying to save the NY Fire Patrol
For more info and to sign our petition visit.
http://www.fpny123.net
Chas Tedesco
Uniformed Fire Patrolmen's Association
IAFF Local I 26
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The Liverpool Salvage Corps were based in Derby Road in Bootle,there were 2 Salvage Tenders,they would Salvage any property and would sheet up and clear water freeing up the Fire Brigade to go back to there Stations and be ready to respond to a Shout,some members became Fire Fighters others went to work for Insurance companies as loss adjusters.
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When I served in Glos FRS. I spent two spells in the London Salvage Corps. who I think were based in Aldgate, and from my experiences there we fitted out and put on the run our own SALVAGE TENDER based at Cheltenham. such a thing now would be resisted i;m sure by all those H & S freaks. I found both the crews and the work they performed facinating, and was lucky to be there on 5th November, which was fantastically busy!....An experience I will never forget.
Conqueror
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Hi
I needs some photos of salvage in action ( so to speak ) If anyone can help I would be grateful. Many thanks firesfa
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firesfa try http://www.a2a.org.uk/html/138-368sal.htm and check out 368/SAL/14 which lists the photographs they have. Then contact Liverpool Records Office and Local History Service and see if there is anyway of them sending you copies.
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I was member of the Liverpool Fire Salvage Corps in 1955 to 1957 It looks like I am a few years too late to post but you guys have just about covered it all. Nevertheless it brought back pleasant memories. They were a great bunch of guys and I enjoyed the short time I served there.I left to come to New Zealand and there I joined the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
I later joined the Auckland harbor Bridge Authority who had their own fire and emergency tenders
and recovery vehicles.
I am very new to this site but find it very interesting.I will pop in from time to time and check it out.
Frank Keegan
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Can anyone tell me about the Slavage Corps operatedin Liverpool and London.
There isn't much info about them on the net.
I understand that they looked like fireman drove fire engines with blue lights and hadtheir own fire stations.
But were they funded by insurance companies? What was the complete nature of their work?
I got hold of an interesting DVD recently which features footage of the London Salvage Corp in the sixties.
http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/866965/Look-At-Life-Swinging-London/Product.html
I bought it on Play.com, but i'm sure there will be some second hand ones on e-bay or the likes..........
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Response to guest
I was in the London salvage Corp from 1974 till the end in 1984.
Any questions you have let me know and I will try and answer them.
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Bit late now but do I have the oldest record for a member of the London Salvage Corps. The 1871 Census shows my Great Great Grandfather's occupation as London Salvage Corps. He was living in Southwark, London.
Can email copy of Census to anyone interested.
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nothing in this world is new!
i attended a meeting of the national community fire safety user group recently and it was reported that an organisation exists (sorry cant remember - will have to check my notes/report) which carries out similar functions to those of the dear old salvage corps.
i'll try to find out more if i can and see if my memory is as bad as my note taking!
dave bev
That sounds familiar, about two years ago our brigade held a briefing session for each station that featured two guys from a commercial enterprise providing salvage services and how we could call them on to appropriate incidents via Fire Control. It was quite interesting in its own way and both the guys were ex-fire service and very knowledgeable, but we've never heard of them or about them since and I don't recall what they were called. Strangely when I think about it, since that time we've had a few occasions when they would have been just the blokes to call, but nobody did?
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Liverpool Salvage Corps moved to their new headquarters in Bankhall, Liverpool not long before their paymasters the tarrif insurance companies decided that running costs outweighed recovery costs. Their buildings compromised a headquarters that looked just like a fire station and at the rear of their drill yard was a warehouse where fire damaged goods were brought to either repackage or sell on as fire damaged goods. Any uneasy alliance existed between the two services though Salvage crews were a great help with clearing up after fires releasing operational crews for further calls.
Their duties werent just confined to blue light jobs that ran a very thorough inspection service that had powers greater than Fire Brigade ever had... money! If a warehouse had dangerous goods or was poorly maintained they issued a set of requirements that if not acted upon premiums went up!!
I had the good fortune to work alongside several salvage personnel including Alec Davies who ended up on the management faculty at the Fire Service College - cracking bloke who passed on much useful advice that is still good today. The LSC were also keen to establish causes of fire again vested interests and their expertise assisted Fire Officers in dealing with suspicious incidents.
Their vehicles looked similiar to small emergency tenders - then they moved up to Ford Transits before the Mercedes fleet came into being. Notable incident was when a salvage tender was stolen from the forecourt by two scallywags and driven for several miles with blues and twos with Police cars chasing them - pure Benny Hill!
Merseyside Fire Museum is probably a good source of information if you wish to know more.
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Sorry about typing errors