Station 02 Hove Additional Information Page

Introduction.

This page is produced for the benefit of the friends and colleagues (current and past) of Hove Fire Station. The content is controlled and updated by Darren Eaton.»

Page Owner Contact Details
Contact:	Darren Eaton.
Telephone:	01323 462102.
Address:	Hove Fire Station, English Close, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 7EE.

News and Events.

Date	News/Event
04 May 2007	Lff Barry Wheeler 30 Year Service Retirement Party at Hove Fire Station 19:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs. If you wish to attend please contact either Stuart Black or Theresa Elvin at Hove Fire Station.
03 May 2007	Hove´s Darren Eaton will referee the National British Football Cup Final in Scotland between teams from Hampshire and London Fire & Rescue Services´.
April 2007	Automatic External Defibrillators will be carried by Hove Appliances from April. Hove crews along with several other crews across the county have been taught how to use this lifesaving piece of equipment.
March 2007	High Volume Pump - Hove took delivery of this new appliance which has gone on the run for incidents within East Sussex. A Community Information Board at the entrance to the station is now up and running, providing visitor's to the station with information as to how Hove crews spend much of there time at incidents.
10 March 2007	Lff Paul Robb (aka 'SID') 30 Year Service Retirement Party at Hove Fire Station 19:00 hrs to 23:30 hrs. Update - Paul was given several gifts and met up with many old colleagues. A good evening was has by all that attended.

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Historical Events.

Date	Event
Before 1879	The Brighton Police Brigade and Hove volunteer Fire Brigade covered the Hove area for fire protection.
Approx 1879	Hove Volunteer Fire Brigade formed at 85 George Street, Hove.
1913	Saw a change of name from Hove volunteer fire service to Hove Corporation Fire Service.
1914	First motor vehicle purchased, Reg. No. AP4527 it had a top speed of 35 mph and could pump 450 gallons a minute.
1926	In June moved to Hove Street.
1935	A full time Fireman received £2.15. d per week.
1936	Blatchington Mill is nearly destroyed by fire. A new Escape was purchased at the cost of £1,400. It stayed in service until 1962. Top speed of 60 mph and could pump 600 gallons per minute.
1939	World War II.
1941	The fire service was nationalised in August and Hove became part of the fire force.
1942	Station Officer Harry Dumbrell appointed to manage the Station.
1948	The Fire Service was once taken over by the County Fire Authority. Hove became Station Two of the East Sussex Fire Brigade.
1951	Station Officer Charles Graham appointed to manage the Station.
1960	Station Officer Eric Lulham appointed to manage the Station.
1966	The first Hove Town Hall burns to the ground.
1974	Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings and Sussex Fire Brigade amalgamated to form the new East Sussex Fire Brigade. During November Firefighters hours were reduced from 56 to 48 hours per week.
1975	Saw a 12-carriage train fire in the sidings at Preston Park. During November the music room of the Royal Pavilion was damaged in an arson attack.
1976	Saw 28 rescued and 5 deaths from the Royal Hotel in Brighton (a 20-pump incident). March - The Brigade Control centralised in Lewes. August - The first female fire fighter in East Sussex is based at Battle. Allan West factory burns to the ground (10 pump shout). October 6th - Saw the official opening of Hove Fire station situated in English Close. Hove Street closes after 50 years of service.
1977	January saw a 6-pump fire at the Madeira Hotel in Brighton. A New Fire Station was opened at teh Ridge Hastings Whilst November saw the first National Fireman's Strike(It went on for 9 weeks). Large fire Woolworths Store, London Road, Brighton.
1978	The Simon Hydraulic Platform became operational for the first time at Hove Fire Station. Hazelville Nursing Home in Hove saw a 6 pump fire 19 people rescued whilst 2 dies. November - A 10 pump large fire at the Polytechnic in Lewes Road The Brigade opened its own Training Centre in November.
1979	A Firefighters hours were reduced from 48 to 42 hours per week. December - At Sweet Hill Bridge in Brighton, a train crashed, becoming a major incident lasting three days, 5 pumps and 3 fatalities.
1981	Chichester House, Chichester Terrace Brighton tided up 6 pumps, 14 BA and 2 TTL monitors. December - the former Hove College on the Kingsway and the Hydro Health Club in the Hotel Metropolis had major fires.
1984	The Grand Hotel in Brighton was bombed.
1987	A hurricane hits the South Coast, causing damage to many buildings.
1992	Major Fire in Palmeria Avenue in Hove.
1996	Harvey's Brewery is badly damaged during an arson attack.
1998	November saw 2 major fires in less than a week, Eastern Terrace Brighton a 25-pump fire. Royal Albion hotel destroyed by accidental fire starting in the kitchen, 24 pumps & 5 aerial appliances.
2000	Lewes is flooded and crews from Hove go to assist. Hove then became home to Control, during its rebuild.
2002	The second national fire fighters strike.
2003	Large fire destroys Ghosts train on Brighton Pier.
2004	A major car crash happened on the A23 outside Brighton just by Pyecombe Petrol Station. 8 fatalities.
2005	Hove loses 12 jobs and the Aerial Ladder Platform, to be replaced by a Land Rover. A charity disco event at the station raises over £500 for the Trevor Mann Sepcial Care bay unit in Brightom Tideway School is burnt to the ground
2006	Hove receives the High Volume Pump (HVP) from the OPDM. The Land Rover is written off in freak accident which killed a motor bike rider. December - A 10 pump fire to a fireworks factory in Ringmer injuries 8 firefighters, 1 police officer a member of the public and kills Brian Wembridge and Jeff Wicker (they are the first two firefighters killed on duty in more than 30 years in East Sussex ).
2007	The High Volume Pump gets it's first two official calls, during the heavy flooding of the summer and a terrorist alert in London during the early part of the year. 3 Staff retire from the service after completing 30 years each, Leading firefighter Paul';SID'Robb,(March) Leading firefighter Barry Wheeler(May) and Fire Fighter Clive Ovenden(October). Clive worked his entire career @ Hove Fire Station both @ English Close & Hove Street.

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Incident Statistics.

Click on the image below to get a summary of the number of incidents attended by Hove Fire Station from 1932.

Recent Incident Statistics are available on the main Hove Community Fire Station Page.

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Picture Gallery.

Please contact the Page Owner (contact details above) before reusing any of these images. Where permission is given please include a copyright credit to East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service with a link to this site (www.esfrs.org).

Station Personnel.
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Station Premises.
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Station Incidents.
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Appliance Images.
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Firefighting Equipment