Post War to Present

Post War saw work by the Home Office to include categorising cover needed from A to F with a specified number of machines to be available and times taken to arrive (the "Risk" category that is still used today).
Whilst many town and city brigades were being equipped with the latest fire appliances, rural areas had to make do with a towing tender equipped with a hose reel pump- some old ATV's were converted for this purpose. The Dennis F7 of 1949 was the forerunner of todays modern appliance and was soon replaced by the F12.
1955 saw an even better engine introduced, the Maudsley Marquis. This had a 7.7 litre diesel engine and better conditions for the crew. Only six of the original model were made, it was superseded in 1957 by an improved model.
With a fire in 1956 at a mill in Keighley, legislation was passed to cover fire safety at work. Whilst fire services in the UK were gaining improved equipment and appliances approaching the 1960's, they were always having to keep apace with risks imposed by new technology in other fields and the hazards they posed.
Brigades experimented in the 1960's with various liveries on appliances due to the number of nighttime accidents, but reverted back to red on Home Office instruction.
Fears of atomic warfare receded and in 1968 the "Green Goddess" appliances of the AFS in the early fifties were put in storage, but have been used on several occasions since.
In April 1974 large County brigades were formed- losing the old City and County Boroughs.
Further re-organisation in 1985 led to many County Brigades being re-named. Over recent years a number of Brigades have again been taken out of local authority control to become independent Fire Authorities.
The UK Fire Service is constantly developing new techniques and equipment to combat mans oldest enemy- FIRE.