Ealing Fire Brigade with horse-drawn fire engine, around 1888.
The parish of Ealing had a fire engine house as early as 1781. A formal fire station was then built in 1888 on Longfield Avenue and the crew was largely professional firefighters. There were two nearby smaller stations which supported it.
By 1927 it had been noted that the main fire station was also not able to accommodate the larger modern fire engines and there was no space for married firefighters to live on site.
The new fire station was built on Uxbridge Road in an Art Deco style, with a symmetrical front made of stone and concrete with Crittal windows (a type of glazing which includes a black metal frame with horizontal bars). It was opened by the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor A E Cobbin J. P., in October 1933.
It is noted in the November 1933 edition of the Fire magazine that ‘Features of the opening ceremony were the whole-hearted tribute paid by the corporation to Chief Officer Blakey to whom the fire brigade committee presented a handsome silver cigarette box suitably inscribed and a display by the brigade which was warmly applauded by the large gathering.’
View of the internal staircase with original features, including the moulded handrail, taken in 2023
The design of the new station featured all the important elements, including a large fire engine appliance bay facing the main yard, a mess room, reading and lecture rooms and behind them a service yard entered from the side street between houses for the chief and second officers.
At the rear was a covered wash space, machine and repair shops, and a large drill yard. The drill and hose drying tower was made of brick, cement and reinforced concrete and was 65 feet high.
There were some high-end fixtures and fittings included, a marble switchboard in the watch room and Australian Jarrah wood, known for its durability and strength, was used in the recreation and billiards room.
Example of a street fire alarm being activated, in around 1930
At that time Ealing had three street fire alarm systems. These were then replaced by a closed circuit system with 60 boxes working on eight circuits.
In the lead up to the Second World War, the Auxiliary Fire Service was established. Substations were set up in nearby local schools and other suitable buildings.
A National Fire Service radio operator at the radio desk, Fire Force Area 34, Ealing Headquarters. On the board in front of her is the listing for the London Regional Area call signs.
In 1941 all fire brigades across the United Kingdom were brought together to form the National Fire Service (NFS). Ealing Fire Station became the headquarters of Fire Force Area No.34.
The pump escape fire engine, shown above (HX 3007) was allocated to Ealing Fire Station and the same engine and the appliance room featured in the Second World War era film "The bells go down" which starred Tommy Trinder.
The National Fire Service was disbanded in 1948. Ealing Fire Station became part of the newly formed Middlesex Fire Brigade. In 1965 it became ‘D’ Divisional HQ in London Fire Brigade, when the Greater London Council was created.
Exterior of Ealing Fire Station taken in around 2010.
The station is crewed by a Sub Officer, a Leading Firefighter and seven Firefighters who respond to a variety of incidents including fires, flooding and road traffic collisions. It houses a Pump Ladder Fire Engine and an Operational Support Unit (OSU). The OSU is a large van used to transport additional equipment to fires and other incidents, such as bulk sand or additional foam supplies.