Birmingham's New £157,000 Fire Station
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ON Monday, he new neadquarters of the Birmingham Fire Brigade were declared open by the Duke of Kent, in the presence of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and members of the city council. The new fire station, of which an illustration appears on this page, has cost approximately £157,000 to build. It covers 8,200 sq. yds. and provides accommodation for both officers and men, has ample storerooms, a drying tower, telephone room, staff offices, band-practice room, recreation
room, canteen, gymnasium, etc. In addition to the residence of Chief Officer A. R. Tozer, there are three flats for senior officers, 39 flats for junior officers. and men, and 12 cubicles for single men.
The plans of the station were prepared in the office of the city surveyor and the building was constructed under his supervision. It has become necessary owing to the continued expansion of the city. At the present time, the brigade is called upon to protect an area of 51,147 acres, with a population estimated in 1934 to be 1,028,000.
Amongst the fire-fighting machines in the service of the brigade is a number of Leylands, comprising eight motor pumps, eight tenders and three turntable escapes. The tenders embody a number of interesting features, exclusive to the brigade. They are of the forward-control pattern and the crews are accommodated across the full
024 width of the body, whilst the machines carry both 50-ft. escapes and 35-ft. ladders. Three of the tenders also incorporate the Leyland hydraulic torque converter.
The fire-engines have their pumps mounted amidships, and possess New World-type bodies. Two of the turntable escapes are equipped with lowsection 85-ft. ladders, whilst the third appliance has a five-section escape extending to 100 ft