Terrington
| 
|
Address: Benns Lane, Terrington, PE34 4LL Drill Night: Thursday Incidents attended: Click here for incident information This is a retained station. It has a crew consisting of one Watch Manager and two Crew Managers and nine Firefighters. |
 |
If you need a school visit we target these at Year 2 for Key Stage 1, Year 5 for Key Stage 2 and Year 8 for Key Stage 3. If you have someone who is fire-setting and wish to discuss this with one of our advisors please contact us. We are sometimes also able to attend Community events but this will depend on resources, and we tend to target this to priority areas of our service. We do always look forward to hearing from you with any other queries.
Resources
This section contains notes written by the crews of this station.
Terrington Fire Station is staffed by 13 retained firefighters. The station is one of five in the Western 3 cluster.
The station’s top priority is to be competent in role and to provide fire cover to the local area. Subsequently they want to ensure the safety of the community by education, through the “Quick Strike” initiative (providing fire safety advice to the public at an incident scene) and referring anyone over the age of 65 and without a smoke alarm to the “Home Fire Risk Assessment” initiative (more details can be found here .
A Brief History.
There has been a fire fighting force of some kind in Terrington St Clement for over 150 years, but this was only recently discovered from some old vestry records.
In 1990 Terrington celebrated its centenary believing 1890 to have been the time of its foundation. The Brigade at this time being captained by Mr Thomas Girdlestone, who was listed in Kelly's directory as a painter and decorator and proprietor of the local fire engine. We believe he actually owned the pump. Research shows the appliance was housed at Wesley Road, at the rear of Mansfield Villa and Lynhurst House, which is still the home of the Girdlestone family today.
Over the next 30 years or so it is very difficult to piece together any information on appliances or crews until the Fire Service Act was passed by Parliament in 1938. At this time the Auxiliary Fire Service was being recruited and trained. At the outset of World War II firefighters were compulsory mobilised on the 1st of September 1939. The fire station at this time was at Chase House, Lynn Road, Terrington St Clement. The pump used at this time was an old Vauxhall car converted and used as a towing vehicle, the Leading Fireman made up ladder and hose racks that were fixed to the roof.
During the war years there were some sixty firefighters based at Terrington and surrounding areas, under a Fire Force Commander Company Officer who continued as officer in charge of Terrington station. Now designed station "u". An Austin towing vehicle with a Coventry climax pump was now supplied and commonly used throughout Norfolk, painted in grey livery. These were very good appliances and Terrington crews travelled considerable distances to standbys and fires.
During 1940 /41 the Brigade moved to Marshland Street and crews slept at the Leading Fireman's Bakery. Crews took turns to work night shifts during the war. The appliance was still kept at Chase House so they had a way to run, although it is believed it was also kept in the yard at the Golden Ball Public House for a quick getaway.
In 1942 a new station was built in Marshland Street, known as Lyndhurst Station, it stood where the county arms housing development now is and was home to some 40 plus firefighters, who were on first call to Kings Lynn. Terrington now became the parent station for this sub division, with West Walton and Tilney St Lawrence under its control, providing virtually all the fire cover for this side of the River Ouse out to the Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire borders.
After the war now Senior Company Officer Johnson promised he would see Terrington with a new fire station and a new appliance. And in 1956 this became a reality when the current station was built at Benns Lane and a new Commer appliance TVF802 was provided.
This Information is courtesy of the history of Terrington Fire Service by caretaker firefighter Shepperson. Historical information and photographs are still being collected and will eventually be compiled into book form.
The crew today have become a highly trained fire and rescue service and many have medals and commendations to their credit. They now use a Mercedes fire appliance carrying some of the latest cutting and rescue equipment with first aid, resuscitation equipment and breathing apparatus onboard. Computerised monitoring and turnout systems are now used.
If you have any comments or queries please Contact us.
How to Find the Station
