Bolton-Le-Sands Fire Station 

History

  Here's a brief history of the station.

A two man pump was issued to Bolton-Le-Sands Parish Council by Lancaster Rural District Council. In 1939 a village fire party was organised with Jack McGaffigan the Village Blacksmith appointed leader.

The pump, with two lengths of 13/4" canvas hose, one branch & one canvas gutter dam were kept in a small garage at the Catholic Prebytery.

In early 1940 a light portable pump with ancilliary equipment was issued by the A.F.S a fire crew was formed, & & some months later a Chevrolet car was issued to tow the light pump.

On night duty the voluntary crew slept in a room provided in the Presbytery. At first there were no communications except by "runner" but some months later a telephone was installed.

When the N.F.S was formed in 1941 the Station came under the control Of Morecambe Fire Station but continued operating as above. In 1943 an A.T.V & major pump replaced the Chevrolet & light pump & in 1944 an old barn, pictured above (built 1780) situated in the main street at Bolton-Le-Sands was converted into a Fire Station to accommodate the tender & pump. It contained a small control room, communication was via remote control system (B).

Fire calls were received by Mr & Mrs P McGaffigan 24 hours a day 363 days per year at their home address in the Main Street. An honorarium of £5 per annum was paid for this service. A Fire siren was installed on McGaffigan's workshop to alert the firemen together with a call bell fitted in each fireman's house. There was no direct line to control at this time. Later a remote control system (K) was installed which provided a direct telephone line to Lancaster Division Control.

On 1st of April, 1948 the National Fire Service was disbanded & the Service was handed over to Lancashire County Council. Sub O. J McGaffigan was re-appointed Officer in Charge & L.Fm.T McGaffigan Deputy Officer in Charge. The A.T.V & major pump were replaced with a Bedford WrT fitted with radio facilities.

In 1964 the voice frequency (A) calling out system was brought into operation. Fire calls were received at Divisional Control, Lancaster. Direct telephone line facilities were incorporated in the system. In October, 1968 the present two bay Fire Station situated on the Bye Pass Road, Bolton-Le-Sands was officially opened. A two bay station was built to provide accommodation for an A.F.S Green Goddess. The Home Office made a grant towards the cost of the building.

In 1971 Divisional Control at Lancaster was discontinued & all fire calls were received at B.H.Q Control Fulwood. Pocket alerters were issued to all retained personnel & the use of sirens & call bells discontinued.

The station was built on the site of an experimental garden for I.C.I. The only remaining evidence of this is the trees which still stand in the grounds.

Brief History of the Village

Bolton-Le-Sands is a large village in the Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. As of 2001, it had a population of around 7000.

Referred to as Bodeltone in the Domesday book, the village was known as Bolton until the arrival of the railways, when the name was changed to Bolton-Le-Sands to differentiate from similarly named towns on the same line, such as Bolton near Manchester.

The oldest church in the village, founded prior to 1094, is the Church of England Holy Trinity church, originally dedicated to St Michael. The oldest part of the current building is the tower, supposed to have been built around 1500. The nave and chancel date from the 19th century. The other churches are the Roman Catholic St. Mary of the Angels and the Christ Church United Reformed Church.

The Lancaster Canal, built in the 1790s, is a major feature of the village. Also passing through the village is the A6 and the West Coast Main Line, although the railway station closed in 1969.

The village has one school, Bolton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School, with around 300 pupils from the ages of 4 to 11 in a modern school building. The school is a successor to the old Boys' Free Grammar School, which dates from 1657, with the 19th century school building still used for community education.

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